PM Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind Wish France on Winning FIFA World Cup 2018

New Delhi, July 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind extended wishes to the football team of France for winning the FIFA World Cup 2018. In the final match played on Sunday, the French side clinched an emphatic 4-2 victory over Croatia.

"An excellent match! Congratulations to France for winning the @FIFAWorldCup. They played wonderfully through the tournament and during the #WorldCupFinal @EmmanuelMacron. I also congratulate Croatia for their spirited game. Their performance in the World Cup has been historic," PM Modi said.

A tweet was also posted on the official handle of President Kovind, wishing France for their winning performance, while also commending the "gallant" Croatian side.

This is the second World Cup title won by the French side -- their maiden victory registered two decades back in 1998. Croatia, meanwhile, made it for the first time to the finals of the coveted tournament. Dubbed as the underdogs, the eastern European nation drew massive support from across the globe.

The 90-minute bout between Croatia and France began with the latter scoring within the first 20 minutes. An equaliser, however, came in 28th minute brining Croatia back into the game. An unfortunate penalty, due to a controversial handball call made by the referee, allowed France to regain the lead at 2:1 before the halftime.

As the match resumed, Pogba and Mbappe struck a goal each to take game far away from the Croatian side, with a lead of 4-1. A surprising goal came from Mario Mudarez in the 70th minute bringing the score to 4-2. However, the French defence created a grid lock which prevented Croatia to strike any further till the match closed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2018 11:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).