<P> The 2018 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 15 July 2018 to determine the winners of the 2018 FIFA World Cup . It was the final of the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA . The match was contested by France and Croatia, and held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia . </P> <P> Before 2018, France's only World Cup victory was in 1998--though they had also reached the final in 2006--while Croatia were playing in their first World Cup final . Both teams had defeated former World Cup champions on their way to the final: France defeated 1930 and 1950 winners Uruguay, Croatia defeated 1966 winners England and both teams defeated 1978 and 1986 winners Argentina . Croatia became the third Eastern European nation to reach the World Cup final, and the first since Czechoslovakia lost the final in 1962 to Brazil . </P> <P> France won the match 4--2, having taken a 2--1 lead during the first half on an own goal and penalty awarded by the video assistant referee (VAR), both firsts in a World Cup final . France also became the second team in the 32 - team World Cup to win all their knockout matches without any extra time or penalty shoot - out after Brazil in 2002 . As winners, France qualified for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup . </P> <P> The final was played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, located in the Khamovniki District of the Central Administrative Okrug . An expanded version of the stadium was named as the provisional final venue in Russia's World Cup bid, which was selected by FIFA on 2 December 2010 . Luzhniki Stadium was confirmed as the final venue on 14 December 2012, following a meeting of the now - erswthile FIFA Executive Committee held in Tokyo, Japan . The stadium also hosted six other matches, including the opening match on 14 June, three group stage matches, a round of 16 match, and the second semi-final match . </P>

Who won the football match world cup 2018