FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 (Promo)

Paul Pogba wanted his own star and 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe wanted to make an everlasting impression on his World Cup debut. Their wishes were granted as France lifted the World Cup with a 4-2 win against Croatia in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow yesterday.

Both Pogba and Mbappe actually settled the fate of the final even before it had progressed to the last quarter, scoring the third and fourth goals respectively in the space of six minutes after the break. Mbappe won the best young player award, an achievement that matched the feat of great Brazilian striker Pele.

For Croatia captain Luka Modric the golden ball was there to proudly aloft. He raised it up amidst thunderous applause from the stands; it was not necessarily only Croatian voices that cheered. But his stony face only portrayed the visage of a heartbroken man who watched from a distance amidst pouring rain as France danced with that glittering piece of glory.

France are deserving winners. True, they were under pressure in the first half and they may have been a bit lucky to win a penalty. But they showed the quality of true champions and mercilessly hit their opponents on the break, which Croatia failed to negotiate.

It was a story of two contrasting halves. Croatia were on the ascendency in the first 45 minutes while it France asserted control after the break. When Argentine referee Nestor Pitana blew the final whistle, the most powerful image was Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps being toasted by his young charges. Deschamps truly built the bridge after 20 years. He won it in 1998, France's first-ever World Cup triumph. And after the disappointment in the Euro final two years ago when they lost to Portugal, the France legend guaranteed another moment of national pride.

The Luzhniki final saw the first three goals scored every 10 minutes after Mario Mandzukic headed the ball into his own net off an Antoine Griezmann free kick from outside the left-hand box in the 28th minute. Incidentally, it was France's first shot on target, a floater deep into the far post where Croatia's hero of the semifinal against England soared above everybody. It was a header from a class striker that rattled the top left-hand corner, but unfortunately though the Juventus forward was oblivious that he was defending his own goal.

France were lucky to take the lead against the run of play, with Croatia not only starting brightly but also dictating possession. The pall possession ratio of 68-32 in Croatia's favour was reflected in the stands, where the red-and-white stripes overwhelmingly dominated the blues.

Croatia got the deserved equaliser in the 28th minute with Ivan Perisic firing in a scorching left-footer. It was originated from another dead-ball situation after Perisic won a free kick about 35 yards from the French goal. Modric lobbed an intelligent ball wide where Sime Vrsaljko headed it across the penalty area. It dropped for Perisic, who made a little space before unleashing an unstoppable diagonal drive into the bottom right-hand corner.

The third goal came after a lot of deliberation and the referee had to take the assistance of VAR, which ruled Perisic had handled the ball in the forbidden zone. Griezmann was again the initiator with a corner from the same corner flag. N'golo Kante headed it at the near post which struck the stretched hand of Perisic, though unintentionally. Griezmann stepped up to convert the penalty, sending Danijel Subasic the other way.

France went into the lemon break with a fortuitous 2-1 lead. But they returned only to bury the game beyond doubt with Pogba and Mbappe finding the net in the space of six minutes and that too after a pitch invasion by members of Pussy Riot that stopped the final for a few minutes.

Pogba increased the lead in the 59th minute from a rebound after his first attempt was blocked. It was then the turn of Mbappe to become only the second youngest player after Pele to score a goal in the final. The 19-year-old France prodigy drove a spectacular low shot after a little shimmy on the top of the box.

Hugo Lloris's blunder in the 69th minute allowed Croatia to make it 4-2. The France captain unnecessarily waited with the ball before Mandzukic closed in on him and poked the ball into the net as the goalkeeper was trying to cut across him. But that goal served only as a consolation for Croatia, who turned up in their maiden final with great expectations but once against came unstuck against a team they lost 2-0 to in the semifinal 20 years ago.

Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup From Jun 14 to Jul 15, 2018 The 2018

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Lionel Messi wasn't available at the pre-match press conference for Argentina's World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Monday. He wasn't, in fact, expected to be; the PSG talisman hardly ever attends a press conference.

But that doesn't mean he is shying away from the focus or trying to steer off any controversy he caused during and after the game against the Netherlands.

We've already seen how Messi led his team against the Netherlands, with his skill and with his words, even turning violent at times. That is something Argentina team is apparently comfortable with – the feisty Messi, the Messi that rallies his team and teammates.

Lionel Scaloni, the Argentina coach and Nicolas Tagliafico, the midfielder, voiced their support to this new avatar of Messi, and they apparently want more of it.

"I am not surprised because I know him," Scaloni said of his talismanic forward. "It was always like this. He was always the same, a winner. And he has a pride and a desire to continue playing ball that they envy."

Taglificao, sitting beside Scaloni, was more forthright in his regards for Messi: "Having Messi motivates us, we are delighted that he is our captain"

Croatia's plans, meanwhile, will not centre around Messi only, as Bruno Petkovic said on Sunday that they would be looking to stop the entire team from working, not just Messi.

While Argentina had a rough start to the tournament with a stunning defeat against Saudi Arabia before kicking into gear in the group stages and then scripting exhausting wins over Australia and the Netherlands, Croatia too didn't make life easy for themselves with back-to-back shootout victories at the knockout stages. But that is something Croatia are happy to live with, having navigated the path to the final after extra-time in every knockout stage match in Russia four years ago. They are a battle-hardened side with plenty of strong characters in all the positions, with Luka Modric the creative spark, just like Messi.

Any notion of playing boring football was summarily brushed aside by Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic at the pre-match press conference. "We are in the semifinals and we are here by merit. That's the end of the topic," he said in reply to a question.

Selection-wise, Croatia are in a better position as they have no suspension and no serious injuries to contend with, unlike Argentina, who have defenders Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna suspended. However, the good news for the Argentines is that both Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel are available for selection even though they are not likely to start.

With both teams having won twice against each other and the other match ending in a draw, there is not much to separate the two sides, even though the only time these two sides met in a World Cup ended in a convincing 3-0 win for the European side in Russia four years ago.

But that was a different Argentina team, who had only squeezed into the Round of 16 with a one-point advantage and made a meek exit after the Croatia thrashing. In Lusail tonight, they will certainly be a different beast, with a massive legion of fans egging them on for victory.

Ivorian ex-Fifa executive Jacques Anouma has told the BBC that he did not accept a $1.5m (£1m) bribe over Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.

His denial comes amid a criminal investigation by Swiss prosecutors into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

Anouma said that justice should now be left to run its course.

The Swiss investigation follows the indictment of seven top Fifa officials in May, accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150m.

Anouma also said that $2m paid by Qatar to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in 2010, ahead of the final World Cup vote, did not oblige African members to vote for the Gulf nation.

Negotiations with Qatari officials for the $1.5m bribe are alleged to have taken place in a hotel in the Angolan capital Luanda, during the Caf annual Congress in 2010.

But Anouma said there was no way he could have been involved as he wasn't even in the country at the time, having instead stayed behind in Ivory Coast.

Qatar denies any allegations of bribery in relation to its 2022 World Cup bid.

We know that football players work extraordinarily hard to reach the heights of success and the payment they receive for it often makes us feel extraordinarily poor. Not only do we swoon over their lifestyle, some footballers' tastes, as reflected in their homes, have left us speechless more than once. 

So, here are 5 most beautiful houses of footballers that make us wish we could live there:

Didier Drogba

Drogba's $21 million ivory mansion looks like something straight out of a big-budget Hollywood movie. Complete with seven bedrooms, a leisure complex with an indoor pool, and a wooden staircase spiralling through the middle of the house, this insanely beautiful 11,000 square-feet property is complete with a sports museum within itself. The absolute show-stopper of this house has to be the pool that opens up to a beautiful garden through bi-folding doors. 

Wayne Rooney

Yes, this Manchester United striker has been among the highest-paid footballers in the world for many years and clearly has the money to buy a palace anytime he wants. But that is not what landed him on our list. After buying the Cheshire Mansion for $6 million, Rooney invested his time, effort, and a huge sum of money to turn it into his own dream home. Currently standing on a market valuation of approximately $18 million, his home now includes a large indoor pool, a home theatre, beautifully landscaped gardens, and a sports museum. There is also a golf simulator inside the house. You know, just in case Rooney gets tired of winning too many football matches. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

People say that you can tell a lot about a person from their house and it could not be truer for Cristiano Ronaldo. The star Portuguese player's $7.2 million house is a breath-taking beauty, perfectly portraying the extravaganza in the true Ronaldo fashion. Featuring a whole 8000 square feet of elegance and class, Ronaldo's house consists of seven bedrooms, two swimming pools, a beautiful garden, and a trophy room for him to showcase all his awards. The architectural beauty of this mansion's interior is also presented through various reflective surfaces in the bedroom, living room, and dining hall that speak class and elegance like none other. 

Andres Iniesta 

Andres Iniesta is someone who manages to make a gigantic house look quite homely. The beautiful house was custom-built for him nearly ten years ago, with almost every corner of the house containing a personalised touch as per the player's requirements. His name and shirt number are featured on the exterior wall while his badges from Barcelona and Spain adorn other walls. 

The star player has five bedrooms, a large swimming pool, and a small chapel built inside the house, along with a line of A-class facilities at his disposal. 

David Beckham

Any list of luxury is incomplete without mentioning this iconic English footballer. Beckham and his family currently reside in a mansion befitting their royal image, with eight bedrooms, a spa, a gym, nail bars, and an indoor waterfall! 

The $65 million property has been dubbed the "Beckingham Palace II", with their previous estate in the British countryside to be known as Beckingham Palace I. Oh! And let's not forget David and Victoria's latest purchase, a countryside estate with ten bedrooms overlooking a land large enough to have 380 football pitches. A mic-drop moment for the Beckham pair, and a jaw-drop for us!