France's team players celebrate Croatia's forward Mario Mandzukic's own goal during their Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018.
July 14, 2018
#WC2018: France leads Croatia 2-1 at halftime
MOSCOW, Russia — The first half ended with thunder rolling over Moscow after France regained the lead from an Antoine Griezmann penalty in the 38th minute following the first use of video review in a World Cup final.
France had taken the lead in the 18th through Mario Mandzukic’s own-goal — the first in a World Cup final and a record 12th in the tournament — off a Griezmann free kick, before Croatia’s Ivan Perisic equalized with a fierce left-foot strike 10 minutes later.
Perisic was also the player who conceded the penalty with a handball at a corner. It is already the highest-scoring World Cup final since France won its only previous title in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0.
Croatia is playing in the World Cup final for the first time.
