France’s World Cup star Kylian Mbappe joined regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s player award, world soccer’s governing body announced on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France’s World Cup winning campaign.

He became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final as France powered past Croatia 4-2 to win the sport’s top prize for the second time, 20 years after their first triumph.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, the top scorer in European club football last year, scored 44 goals for the Premier League side Liverpool in all competitions. The current African footballer of the year, Salah, would be the first player from the continent to win the FIFA prize since Liberian striker – and current president – George Weah in 1995.

The other players in the 10-man list are Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane.

Brazil and Paris St Germain forward Neymar missed out on a nomination.

Source: Reuters

Cameroonian father of the World Cup sensation Kylian Mbappe says that he wanted his son to play for the Central African nation but the dream was crushed due to corruption.

In a widely circulated statement, Wilfried Mbappe is quoted saying “someone” at the Cameroon FA charged a sum of money he could not part with for his son to be called up to the Indomitable Lions.

“At first, I wanted my son to play for Cameroon but, someone at the Cameroon Football Federation charged a sum of money that I didn’t have to make him play.

The French didn’t charge anything,” the senior Mbappe reportedly said. Kylian, 19, was among the shining lights for France in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia, scoring four goals including one in the 4-2 win against Croatia in the Final last Sunday.

He became the second teenager to score in a World Cup Final after the legendary Pele. Cash for national team call-ups is rampant in Africa where corruption and patronage supersedes merit.

Kylian believes that players should not be paid to turnout for their national teams because it is a big honor to serve your country.

The former Monaco forward, who recently moved to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in the French Ligue 1, disclosed that he would donate his World Cup earnings to charity.

Source: Kahawatungu

Zagreb’s Ban Jelacic square proved too small to fit all the fans who wanted to participate in the welcome party for the Croatian national team on Monday, who came back from Russia a few hours earlier.

According to police authorities, around 550,000 fans lined up along the route of the open bus tour, which took the team from Zagreb’s Franjo Tudjman airport to Ban Jelacic square.

The runner-up medal at the 2018 World Cup is the highest achievement in Croatian national football history.

Source: Presstv

Before having picked France as his national team, Samuel Umtiti was approached by Roger Milla, who tried to persuade the player to don Cameroon’s colours.

The African legend even travelled to France in 2015 to convince the current Barcelona defender to join his national team.

“The president of the French Federation told us that Umtiti will have to wait four years to make his way up the ladder because there are many players in his position,” Milla said at the time.

“If he wants to play in a World Cup, he has to decide for Cameroon, now or never.”

Three years later, Umtiti scored France’s first goal in the semi-final against Belgium, to lead Les Bleus to Sunday’s final against Croatia.

The 24-year-old defender already won the U20 World Cup in 2013, having been part of a team that also consisted of players such as Paul Pogba, Alphonse Areola and Florian Thauvin.

Umtiti, who was born in Cameroon but moved to France at the age of two, has explained his decision to play for Les Bleus.

“I have family [in Cameroon], but I’ve only been there twice,” he told ESPN. “It’s part of my roots, but I don’t remember what it was like to live there and my decision has been thought through.

“I wanted to defend French colours from the beginning and it’s logical and natural, as I grew up here. “I had my training here and I played with Les Bleus in all the lower categories.”

Source: Marca.com

Antoine Griezmann’s father emigrated from Germany and the France forward’s mother is of Portuguese descent. Paul Pogba’s parents arrived from Guinea. Kylian Mbappe’s dad is from Cameroon, his mum Algerian.

Immigrants, sons of immigrants and grandsons of immigrants bonded together with scions of families that have been French for generations, all for the rouge, blanc et bleu. And for only the second time, France is the World Cup champion.

About two-thirds of Les Bleus’ roster included players with immigrant backgrounds, a mini-United Nations of soccer talent. “That is the France that we love,” Griezmann said through a translator after Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Croatia ended the most exciting World Cup final in decades. “It’s beautiful to see it.”

Mbappe’s speed led to the third goal in the 59th. He added a goal of his own in the 65th, at 19 becoming the second-youngest scorer in a World Cup final behind 17-year-old Pele in 1958.

Vive la diversite!

A day after Bastille Day, the party was on.

“The diversity of the squad is in the image of this beautiful country that is France,” midfielder Blaise Matuidi, whose parents are from Angola and Congo, said through a translator ahead of the match.

France won on a humid night in Russia, with thunderclaps during play and a downpour during the trophy presentation. Quite different from that indelible summer evening at Stade de France in 1998, when fans in the arena and throughout Paris sang “La Marseillaise” until dawn and young teenagers drove cars while their intoxicated parents sat in passenger seats.

People called that team “Black, Blanc, Beur,” noting how black, white and North African players came together.

Zinedine Zidane, a son of Algerians, headed in a pair of first-half corner kicks against heavily favored Brazil. Patrick Vieira, born in Senegal, fed Normandy-born Emmanuel Petit for the third in the 3-0 win.

This year’s team was perhaps even more diverse.

Defender Samuel Umtiti was born in Cameroon and backup goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in Zaire. Others descended from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Mococco and Senegal, plus Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

“There may be players who come from different origins, but we do have the same state of mind,” Griezmann said. “We all play for the same jersey, the cockerel. For our country, we give everything we have. As soon as you wear the jersey, we do everything for each other.”

He scored the go-ahead goal after the first video review-created penalty kick in a World Cup final. During a delay of about four minutes that might have unnerved less-composed players, Griezmann told himself to pretend it was a league match.

“Carry on and do the same thing as I normally do,” he remembered thinking.

At 27, he is in his prime but in the penumbra of Spanish soccer powers at Atletico Madrid, toiling in a league that Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate. He led the 2016 European Championship with six goals and tied for second with four at this World Cup, three on penalty kicks, earning the Bronze Ball as third-best player behind Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Belgium forward Eden Hazard.

Griezmann kissed the trophy, knowing his generation will be revered in the same way Zidane, Petit, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram and Fabien Barthez remain renowned from Calais to Cannes.

“From tonight on, I’m sorry for them, but they are going to be different,” coach Didier Deschamps said. “Those 23 players will be linked forever, forever. Whatever happens – they might follow different paths, but they will be marked forever and they will be together thanks to this event.”

Griezmann, man of the match in a World Cup final, will be on posters throughout the republic, asked for endorsements, a mainstay of commercials. He will be pestered for autographs for the rest of his life.

“I’m going to be in the history of French football with my team,” Griezmann said. “We don’t quite realize it yet. Our children will be very proud to have our names.”

(AP)

France has won its second World Cup in history by overcoming Croatia in an entertaining final of the 2018 version of the games in Russia.

A Mario Mandzukic own goal, a penalty by Antoine Griezmann that came from the VAR, and superb efforts by Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe in the second half of the game in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday sealed France’s victory in one of the most action-packed finals of the World Cup.

Ivan Perisic and Mandzukic scored in either half of the game but the goals were not enough for a spirited Croatia to claim their first ever title in the prestigious games.

France lifted the trophy 20 years after they won the world Cup on home soil with captain by Didier Deschamps, the man who coached the current French team. Deschamps becomes the third man in the World Cup history after Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer to win the games both as player and coach.

The 1998 French title also came at the expense of Croatia as the hosts had defeated the newcomers in the semi-finals.

The 2018 final was the most goal-packed in normal time in 60 years, only second in history to Brazil’s 5-2 win over Sweden in 1958. It was also the highest-scoring final since the 1966 final between England and West Germany, which ended with a similar score in favor of the hosts England.

UAE Pro League side Al Jazira have announced the signing of Sebastien Siani from Belgian First Division A outfit Royal Antwerp. The midfielder only spent six months with the Great Old after he joined in January as a free agent, scoring once in 13 appearances across all competitions.

On Wednesday, the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium side unveiled the former KV Oostende player after he completed his medicals. “Al Jazira Football Company completed the signing of the Cameroonian midfielder Sebastien Siani, the former player of the Anderlecht and Antwerp, and the African Cup of Nations winner in 2017,” read a statement on the club website.

“He joined the first football team of Al Jazira as soon as the preparations for the upcoming seasons starts.”

Source: Sporting News

Mario Mandzukic scored in the 109th minute as Croatia came from behind to beat England 2-1 after extra time on Wednesday and reach their first World Cup final, where they will face France on Sunday, and send the Balkan nation into raptures.

England, appearing in their first semi-final since 1990, had looked on course for their first final since 1966 as they led through Kieran Trippier’s fifth-minute free kick and totally dominated the opening half.

Croatia, in their first semi since 1998, levelled through Ivan Perisic after 68 minutes and then looked the more dangerous side.

But just when it looked as if they would become the first team to appear in three shootouts at a single World Cup Mandzukic struck with a well-taken low shot.

England had got off to a flying start when Trippier curled a superb free kick into the top corner.

It was his first goal for his country, England’s 12th of the tournament and ninth from a set-piece, but they should have added more from open play as they revelled in the space they were being given in the first half.

The best chance for a second goal, however, was wasted by an unmarked Jesse Lingard when he curled wide when a goal looked certain. Croatia had been desperately poor but started to get a foothold in the game as the match rolled past the hour mark and Luka Modric’s influence grew.

England paid the price for those early misses when Perisic showed great determination to get in front of Kyle Walker to meet a curling Sime Vrsaljko cross and though his boot was arguably high, Walker was stooping and there were few complaints.

Perisic should have added another three minutes later when ragged defending presented him with a great shooting chance but he cannoned the ball against a post.

It was a different game from then on, with Croatia suddenly playing with accuracy and purpose as England lost their shape and composure, though Kane missed a chance to win it in stoppage time when he headed wide from a free kick.

Vrsaljko cleared a John Stones header off the line midway through the first extra period.

But it was Croatia who struck in the 109th minute when Perisic won a header on the edge of the box and the ball dropped for Mandzukic whose firm low finish beat Pickford.

(REUTERS)

Croatia have ended Russia’s World Cup dream after they won 4-3 on penalties to meet England in the World Cup semifinals in Moscow on Wednesday.

Croatia were better side of the match, but Villarreal midfielder Denis Cheryshev put Russia ahead in the 31st minute with curling shot from outside of the box.

Andrej Kramaric leveled the match for Croatia before the break from a Mario Mandzukic cross. Domagoj Vida gave Croatia advantage in extra-time from a Luka Modric corner.

Russia’s Defender Mario Fernandes brought his side level through a header in the 115th-minute to send the match to penalty shootout where Russians journey through their own World Cup ended in heartbreak at the Fisht Olympic Stadium.