More than 250,000 welcome Croatia home

The joyful, singing crowd crammed the central squares and the route where the players passed in an open bus.

MOSCOW » Kylian Mbappe high-fived a political protester who invaded the field during the World Cup final. French President Emmanuel Macron leapt out of his seat in a VVIP area that included a leader charged with genocide. And Vladimir Putin was drenched in a sudden downpour as the trophy was handed over to the victorious French team.

This year’s World Cup was never going to be a refuge from politics when it was being staged in Putin’s Russia, but the players did their best to keep the tournament for themselves.

A final with six goals — France beat Croatia, 4-2, on July 15 — was a fitting climax to a month that produced some of the most enthralling matches in World Cup history.

The lasting images will be of pure elation as the France players leapt into the crowd to collect flags, then crashed Didier Deschamps’ post-match news conference, dancing on the table and spraying champagne and water on the coach.

“Sorry,” Deschamps said. “They’re young and they’re happy.”

No need to apologize. This young squad earned its right to go wild. Particularly Mbappe, a 19-year-old forward whose career trajectory should move into a stratosphere occupied for so long by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The old guard went home early; another failed challenge for World Cup titles by Portugal and Argentina. Mbappe flies home with a winners’ medal.

It’s not just about his composure on the ball, and eye for goal. Just look at the coolness early in the second half dealing with a member of the Pussy Riot activist group which protests against what they consider to be Putin’s repressive regime: A double-high five. Nothing fazes the guy who became the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958.

“I’ve always been ready, mentally, to do beautiful things,” Mbappe said. “I’m free and, most of all, I enjoy it.”

Not only Mbappe. Benjamin Pavard, a 22-year-old defender, will be hot property in the upcoming transfer window. Raphael Varane has also been at the heart of the defense that didn’t concede a goal in four of seven games in Russia. The starring role by Paul Pogba, who scored the decisive third goal on July 15, was a riposte to critics of his contribution at Manchester United.

“These kids, they play like it’s a pick-up game,” said 32-year-old France defender Adil Rami, who was on the bench for the entire tournament.

In so many ways, France lifting the trophy was one shred of order in this month of so much disruption.