Kylian Mbappe helps France capture World Cup crown.
MOSCOW — Taking turns sliding across the rain-soaked turf holding the World Cup trophy tight, teenager Kylian Mbappe and the rest of France’s players acted like the youthful bunch they are.
Nothing, not a Pussy Riot protest nor a postgame downpour that soaked Russian President Vladimir Putin, was going to stop the party.
It carried on long after a 4-2 win over Croatia on Sunday. In the locker room with French President Emmanuel Macron striking poses with players, then a Champagnes-praying, water-splashing interruption of the coach Didier Deschamps’ news conference.
“Sorry! They’re young and they’re happy,” said Deschamps, like a proud father.
Deschamps had good reason to indulge them. His team is aged mostly 25 or under and can return almost intact to defend its title in 2022 in Qatar.
“Our children are going to be very proud,” forward Antoine Griezmann said. “The World Cup, it’s a lot.”
Mbappe, 19 showed his electrifying speed in the 52nd minute. He sent a right-footed shot from 25 yards past goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.
The goal put France up 4-1, closing the door on Croatia, which had been the better team until Mbappe took control.
The only other teen to score in a World Cup final was Pele, who was 17 when Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in 1958.
Pele posted a message of congratulations on his Twitter account, saying “Only the second teenager to have scored a goal in a #WorldCupFinal! Welcome to the club, @Mbappe — it’s great to have some company!”
Mbappe, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in the French league, was born months after France won its only other World Cup title in 1998.
“I have a whole story to write,” Mbappe said. “This is just the beginning.” Paul Pogba and Griezmann, France’s two other key creative players, also scored, Griezmann on a penalty kick after Ivan Perisic’s hand ball that gave France a 2-1 lead. Pogba played a disciplined role in Russia, but his natural joy was evident as he was celebrating his 18-yard shot to make it 3-1, and leading the Champagne shower for Deschamps.
France took the lead in the 18th when Croatia’s tallest player, 6-foot-3 forward Mario Mandzukic, rose to meet Griezmann’s free kick with the top of his head. He deflected it past his own goalkeeper.
Perisic and Mandzukic each scored for Croatia, first to equalize in the 28th minute and later as a consolation goal in the 69th, embarrassing Hugo Lloris with a flicked shot as the France goalkeeper tried to dribble the ball out of his goalmouth.
Still, the three-goal lead was too much for the red-and-white-checkered squad that made a habit of coming back at the World Cup — and played three straight 120-minute games before the final.
“We were dominant, we had control,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said. “What we’ve had in terms of luck over the tournament, we lacked that today.”
Putin was later on the field to award medals to the players in a ceremony soon drenched in rain and joy. As thunder pealed and lightning cracked, FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed Lloris, the France captain, the gold World Cup trophy.
Gold confetti stuck to the soaked Les Bleus as they paraded the trophy around the Luzhniki Stadium, a final act of an enthralling tournament in which Croatia reached its first final and powers Brazil, Germany and Argentina went home early.
Deschamps became only the third man to win the World Cup as a player and a coach. He joined Mario Zagallo of Brazil and Franz Beckenbauer, who captained West Germany.
France’s captain 20 years ago, Deschamps was lifted by his players on the field and flung into the air several times and caught. The normally staid coach did a few skipping dance steps in the rain before stopping and laughing at himself.
It was that type of unbridled evening for the French, who won with an exuberance not often seen in a mostly efficient, controlled title run.