Les Bleus will do whatever it takes to win – Griezmann

France striker puts result before display as Rakitic looks to special unity to help underdogs spring surprise

Antoine Griezmann has hit back at criticism of France playing “anti-football” under Didier Deschamps and insists it does not matter how Les Bleus go about trying to beat Croatia in the World Cup final tomorrow.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and captain Eden Hazard both lamented the way France approached their semifinal in St Petersburg.

A second-half header from Samuel Umtiti proved enough for a 1-0 win, despite Deschamps’ side conceding large amounts of possession to their European rivals.

Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann, however, maintains France will do whatever it takes to lift the World Cup for a second time in Moscow.

“Thibaut Courtois, he played at Atletico, he was a Spanish champion. With Chelsea, does he believe he is playing the football of Barcelona?” Griezmann said at a press conference, broadcast by the France Football Federation.

“I don’t care how. I want a second star to be on this shirt, and if I have the star, I do not care about the game we have done.”

Griezmann believes France’s progress has been built on a collective team effort throughout the group.

“We thought we needed to be a solid block, hard to beat. It is improved over time,” the 27-year-old said.

“We know that we can be offensive at any moment, but the defence remains our base.”

Croatia needed extra time in each of their knockout matches, coming through 2-1 in their semi-final against England on Wednesday night.

Griezmann expects coach Deschamps, who won the World Cup as a player in 1998, to be ready for the challenge ahead at the Luzhniki Stadium.

“He knows the way. We believe in him, we trust him,” the forward said.

“He prepares the matches well and has made strong choices in this competition, especially with Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez. His choices are paying off, and I hope it will continue.”

France could be set for a weekend of celebration, with the final following on from the July 14 Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees.

A massive fan-zone around the Parc du Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, will show the Croatia match on giant screens, as an expectant nation seeks a repeat of their triumph on home soil 20 years ago.

Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi should be involved after being forced off against Belgium following a heavy collision with Hazard.

Matuidi, 31, reckons victory – should France achieve it – should be dedicated to the whole nation.

“The diversity that we have in this team is in the image of our beautiful country, France. We proudly represent France. For us, that’s superb,” he said at a press conference.

“The good atmosphere prevailing in the group is reflected on the field. We fight for each other – it’s our great strength.

“We want to make efforts for others and this has brought us to play in the final.

“Even those who play less are happy for others. This is the state of mind of a family that flows in the team.”

Ivan Rakitic meanwhile says he would gladly sacrifice the rest of his football career to win the World Cup for Croatia.

Barcelona midfielder Rakitic has played an integral role in his country’s unexpected march to the final.

The 30-year-old believes there is a special unity within Zlatko Dalic’s squad, which extends throughout his proud nation of just 4.5 million people.

“I would definitely leave my football boots behind on Monday if that was the price I had to pay to win for my country, to win for Croatia,” said Rakitic

“You need only to look at the footage from Croatia to see what’s been going on over the past month – the joy felt by the people there: joy, togetherness, unity, pride.

“I think all of us deserve this. It doesn’t just concern the 23 players, coaching staff and backroom staff, but the 4.5 million people back home. If there was a stadium big enough for 4.5 million people, it would be full.

“I’m not trying to say these feelings are superior to the ones the French have for France or Russians have for Russia. We have this special bond. When you put the sacred Croatia shirt on you become another person. We have this togetherness, this unique unity – not just in football.

“We are exceptional in tennis, handball, basketball, water polo. If we were to hold a tournament in ping pong all of us would be rooting for that single player. This is something all of us have in us, and it will be in us to the very last moment.”

Rakitic has played almost 70 games this season for club and country, including Wednesday’s semi-final win over England.

The 2-1 extra-time victory puts the country in their first World Cup final, less than 30 years since they started competing as an independent nation.

It also sets up a rematch of the 1998 semi-final in Paris, which hosts France came from behind to win en route to their first success in the tournament when they were captained by current manager Deschamps.

Rakitic expects neutrals from across the world to back his nation.

“I have this feeling there will be hundreds of millions of people rooting for us on Sunday,” he said.

“I have received messages from Argentina, Spain, Germany, from all corners of the world.”