After nine weeks of historic football, the #WorldCupAtHome came to an end this week. Before we recap the grand Finale of Russia 2018, we witness Mexico lifting their very first FIFA trophy, and a central defender who gave a new meaning to ‘Man of the Match’.
Missed out on our previous recaps? Scroll down to catch up on all of the #WorldCupAtHome action.
FIFA U-17 World Championship Peru 2005, Mexico – Brazil 3:0 (Final)
(Click here to watch the full match)
When Brazil reach a World Cup final, they tend to be favourites... as was the case in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005. So, when underdogs Mexico pulled through with a 3-0 victory it was all the more surprising, with the match marking the first time in history that El Tri had ever won a FIFA World Cup tournament. Two players in particular, who would later represent their country at the senior FIFA World Cup, played a decisive role in the title win. Carlos Vela was the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, while Giovani dos Santos earned the silver ball as a result of his eight assists - leading to half of Mexico’s total goal tally. Dos Santos may not have scored a goal himself in 2005, but he made up for that at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, netting the 1-0 lead in the round of 16 match against the Netherlands. We have his shirt from this World Cup in our collection.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, Brazil - Columbia 2:1 (Quarter-final)
(Click here to watch the full match)
What a strike by David Luiz! After captain Thiago Silva had put the Brazilians ahead in the first half, the second central defender opened the door wide to the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup with his directly converted free-kick. His celebration was an outburst of passion and enthusiasm which embodied what the goal meant to him and his country. World Cup top scorer James Rodriguez may have managed to scrape back a penalty, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Brazil's victory. David Luiz was subsequently named Man of the Match, making us particularly proud to have a shirt of his from the tournament, but it's not the shirt from the quarter-finals that is in our collection... He exchanged that one after the game with James, who was visibly disappointed after the game and was comforted by the Brazilian goal scorer. In our eyes, David Luiz earned his distinction as Man of the Match twice over.
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, France – Croatia 4:2 (Final)
(Click here to watch the full match)
What better way to end the #WorldCupAtHome series than with the 2018 FIFA World Cup final? The French became the second team since the introduction of the 64-game World Cup to win all their games in the knockout round after 90 minutes. Croatia, on the other hand, managed to come back from a deficit in each game of the knockout round – going to extra-time in every match. Nevertheless, the Croats made it to the FIFA World Cup Final for the first time in history, making them the 13th country to achieve the feat. Therefore, even before the match began, it was clear that there would be a European champion for the fourth time in a row. 2018 saw the most goals in a final since 1966, and was the first since 2002 to be decided after 90 minutes. Kylian Mbappé also made history as the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pelé himself. In the end, France won the title for the second time, twenty years after their victory on home soil in 1998. Our collection now features a signed shirt from both teams.