‘I want to win the World Cup, Ballon d’or isn’t my problem’

France’s Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player since legendary Pele to score two goals in a World Cup. While Pele did it at the age of just 17, Mbappe has managed the feat at the age of 19.

He showed terrifying pace as neither the Argentina back line nor the ineffective and perhaps aging midfield of Enzo Perez and Javier Mascherano were able to contend with the skill and guile of the French forward.

Argentina played a high defensive line and it allowed Mbappe to exploit the space behind the defence. Marcos Rojo was the first to suffer as Mbappe picked up the ball after a loose ball control from Argentina midfield. He unleashed fury, bursting through a couple of tackles before taking on Rojo.

Rojo fouled the young Frenchman in the penalty area and Antoine Griezmann struck from the penalty spot to hand France the lead. Rojo, who picked up a yellow card for the tackle, was duly substituted at half time -- another way Mbappe made his mark in the game.

Argentina got lucky when Nicolas Tagliafico was shrewd enough to commit his foul just a few metres outside the penalty area after Paul Pogba had set Mbappe off with a long through ball to chase.

The trick to having a high line is to have a compact defense and midfield line. Argentina coach floundered in that department when he played Mascherano and Perez in midfield. Mbappe can make quick players look slow. Against Enzo Perez and Mascherano, who was one or two step behind the play on many occasions, Mbappe became a nightmare.

For his next two goals, Mbappe showed his pace over short distances. Argentina’s poor defensive discipline, let France run at them again and again, with Mbappe moving the ball quicker than anyone in the area for the third.

His second was a back-to-front team move finished by the razor-sharp teenager as Argentina midfield showed no awareness of defensive responsibility and the French striker finished off with ease.

Argentina had the chance to play with a midfield that atleast could close down spaces faster. Giovani Lo Celso, who plies his trade with French outfit Paris Saint-Germain is teammates with the teenage Mbappe. Surely he knew more about keeping track of Mbappe than an aging Mascherano. Lo Celso did not feature for a single minute at this World Cup. France exploited the space they were given and that is why they went through to the quarterfinal after a seven-goal thriller at Kazan.

France captain Hugo Llrois said before the game that Mbappe would have more space than in the first three games.

“Kylian has huge quality and potential, he's fast, explosive and needs space. I think [against Argentina] he'll have more space than the first three matches and as we go on in the competition the level will step up and will have less room for mistakes.

"Mbappe has the potential to make the difference in difficult moments,” he said.

French captain was proven right as Mbappe ran riot to seal victory for France as Argentina were given a reality check.

Croatian media on Monday hailed their team as heroes after the small country's historic success in reaching the World Cup final where France beat them 4-2.

"Thank you, heroes! - You gave us everything!" read the Sportske Novosti frontpage.

"'Vatreni' (the "Fiery Ones" in Croatian), you are the biggest, you are our pride, your names will remain written in gold forever!" the newspaper said.

It showed a photo of captain Luka Modric who was awarded the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, holding a trophy, although with a sad face after the defeat.

"Brave hearts - You made us proud," said Jutarnji List daily.

"Croatia celebrates you, you are our gold!" echoed the Vecernji List.

It noted that for the past month coach Zlatko Dalic's team "made Croatia better".

"They restored pride, pulled it out of the pessimism" reigning in the country whose economy remains among the weakest in the European Union.

More than 100,000 red-and-white-painted Croatian fans were expected to welcome the squad home later Monday in the capital Zagreb.

France's soccer coach will have a subway train station named after him to celebrate his World Cup win and poet Victor Hugo will have to share his memorial slot on Paris's transport map with the team's goalkeeper and captain.

As "Les Bleus" headed home with the World Cup trophy on Monday, the French capital's RATP transport authority said it was renaming six metro subway stations in their honour for the day.

One station, Notre-Dame des Champs, will now be called Notre Didier Deschamps (Our Didier Deschamps), in an hommage to the coach.

Didier Deschamps is one of just three men in the history of the World Cup to take the trophy as team coach after winning it as a player - he helped the team to its first victory in the tournament in 1998.

Victor Hugo station is being renamed Victor Hugo Lloris after captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Bercy station will become "Bercy les Bleus", close to "Merci Les Bleus".

"Les Bleus" are returning on Monday from World Cup host country Russia to celebrate their victory with a parade on the Champs Elysees.

At one end of that avenue another subway stop called "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile" is being renamed "On a 2 Étoiles", replacing the wartime leader with the boast "We have two stars", one for each World Cup win.

With demand for the French team jersey surging, police urged crowds to move away from the entrance of the Nike shop on the Champs Elysees early on Monday.

England, which surprised many by getting as far as the semis, has changed Southgate station on the London Underground to Gareth Southgate Station in honour of the national coach.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a Croatian soccer shirt with the name "Putin" printed on the back on Sunday, hours before Croatia play France in the World Cup final in Moscow.

Croatia has been caught up in soccer fever after the Balkan nation of 4.2 million people swept aside more fancied opponents to reach its first ever World Cup final, which Russia is hosting this year.

Grabar-Kitarovic has, herself, entered into the spirit of the occasion, travelling to Russia to watch matches and dressing in the colours of the national flag. Croatia knocked Russia's team out of the competition in the quarter-finals.

At a Kremlin meeting, Putin congratulated the Croatian president on the Croatian team's performance.

"I'm sure we will see a beautiful game today," he said. Grabar-Kitarovic thanked Putin for what she said was the successful organisation of the competition.

Putin presented her with a bouquet of flowers, while she gave the Russian leader the Croatian national shirt.

Belgium finished third in the World Cup, their best-ever performance, when they beat England 2-0 with an early Thomas Meunier goal and a breakaway finished by Eden Hazard in Saturday's playoff between the losing semi-finalists.

Meunier finished off a devastating move when he turned in Nacer Chadli's low cross at the far post in the fourth minute after Romelu Lukaku's pass sliced open the English defence.

Belgium, who beat England 1-0 in a group match in the tournament, were more dangerous throughout a lively first half. But England improved after the break and nearly equalised when Eric Dier got clear and chipped over Thibaut Courtois, only for Toby Alderweireld to make a sliding clearance off the line.

Belgium continued to threaten on the break and finished off the game when Kevin de Bruyne set Hazard clear and he swept his shot past Jordan Pickford.