Deschampsions

Two of them were encapsulated in the first goal when Griezmann’s free kick grazed the head of Mandzukic for the 12th own goal of the competition and the first ever in a final.

The VAR came into play when Perisic’s hand hit the ball, and though it took Argentine referee Nestor Pitana a while, he was convinced that France deserved a penalty, the competition’s 29th and one that will be debated long after the dust settles in Moscow.

With monk-like calm, Griezmann scored and France were again ahead -- with 39% possession in the first half; again like it has happened so often in this tournament. Before Pogba and Mbappe struck, the best goal of the evening had come from Croatia and involved almost all the players who have been instrumental in getting them this far. It too came off a set-piece; Modric’s floater was put back into the area by that marauding full back Sime Vrsalko and the ball was touched by Mandzukic and Domagoj Vida before Perisic fired an angular delight.

Forget being tired, Croatia did most of the early running. The World Cup has shown how much of a threat the Croat full backs Sime Vrsajko and Ivan Strinic can be, and so it was on Sunday. Till the 51st minute, when he scorched one side of the Luzhniki Stadium pitch, Mbappe’s most important contribution was a block off Strinic. France couldn’t get the ball out of their area but so well-drilled is their defensive work that Lloris didn’t have to make any save.

Like the first half, Croatia began the second strongly and Lloris was needed early to deny Ante Rebic.

But in the next 20 minutes, France replaced N Golo Kante with Steven Nzonzi and scored twice; Pogba and Mbappe making the most of the Croatia midfield’s inability to track back. They could have scored more.

The victory made Deschamps the third after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer to win the World Cup as player and coach. This World Cup had Tite, the teacher of tactical sophistication, Southgate the suave, Martinez the formations’ magician, but they went home.

With the kind of stodginess that is the badge of defensive midfielders, Deschamps stayed because he got France, a team known for mutiny and meltdowns, to put in one assured performance after another.

If he is lucky, so were Edison and Newton.

If he is still unloved, it could be because the French know more about love than the rest of the world.