French soccer star Kylian Mbappe ran to the stands to apologize after hitting a fan with a shot during warmups for the World Cup semifinal Wednesday. If the fan ever recovered, he would have seen the PSG star make up for it with a 2-0 victory over Morocco to propel France to a finals matchup with Argentina.

In a clip that has now gone viral, Mbappe leapt over a barrier to attend to the unidentified fan, who was wearing red and blue and appeared disoriented in photos after the shot reportedly hit him in the face. France’s star apologized and ensured that he was alright before completing warmups.

In the match itself, Mbappe did not score or directly assist, but his play undeniably made a difference as he pushed a torrent pace on offense throughout the game and simply overwhelmed Moroccan defenders. At 23, he will now appear in the second World Cup final of his career, having been a member of the French team that won the tournament in 2018.

Mbappe’s apology to the fan and subsequent play on the field were not his sole acts of class on the day of his semifinal match. After the game, Mbappe spoke to Moroccan player and fellow PSG player Achraf Hakimi, and the two embraced. On Twitter, Mbappe said that Hakimi should not be upset after the team “made history.”

Arguably the best player in the tournament with five goals in six games, Mbappe has led France to the cusp of a historic achievement. Since the World Cup began in 1930, only two teams have won back-to-back tournaments: Italy in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

While Lionel Messi and Argentina are sure to provide a stout challenge to France on Sunday, the team led by Mbappe has been virtually unchallenged at the World Cup thus far, winning five of six games by a combined 13-5 score. Argentina’s path included a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in the group stage and a win on penalties against Netherlands in the quarterfinal, but the team proved itself to be a championship contender in a resounding 3-0 win over Croatia in the semifinal.

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup semifinal match Wednesday, ensuring that Kylian Mbappe will face off against Lionel Messi and Argentina in the final Sunday. A tournament chock full of upsets will ultimately be determined by a game between two juggernauts.

Morocco’s miraculous run to the semifinal included upset victories over Spain and Portugal, but France challenged the team’s highly successful defensive strategy immediately. A goal by left-back Theo Hernandez in the fifth minute put the underdogs behind for the first time in the tournament, and though Morocco’s counterattack led to scoring chances, France ultimately kept the Atlas Lions scoreless on the way to a 2-0 win.

After the game, French star Mbappe tweeted support for Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi, his teammate at PSG.

“Don’t be sad bro, everybody is proud of what you did, you made history,” Mbappe said.

An expected win for France propels the team into a highly anticipated matchup with Argentina, led by Messi in what will likely be his final World Cup appearance. Though many hoped for a final between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe will be a different, more challenging foil. Even in games where he has not contributed directly, the speedy 23-year-old has been the catalyst for his team’s offense, scoring five goals in six games.

The stories of these two top players are drastically different. Mbappe has an extremely promising career ahead of him in the European leagues and countless opportunities to win a World Cup with a historically successful French team. Meanwhile, for all his achievements across a legendary career, Messi has never won a championship for Argentina. This run will likely be his last chance.

Beyond the team’s stars, Argentina and France both boast plenty of talent. French players Antoine Griezzman and Olivier Giroud have been just as productive alongside Mbappe throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, Argentina boasts a well-balanced attack behind Messi that has helped the team go from upset losers against Saudi Arabia to a World Cup finalist.

Led by Evan Fournier‘s 28 points, France gives the U.S. their first Olympic loss in almost 20 years. 

After the final whistle, France hardly celebrated. Does France’s lack of reaction show that the USA is no longer a feared team? France ended a 25-game Olympic winning streak for the USA. Closing the game with a 16-2 run, France was able to defeat the U.S. 83-76. 

Fournier spoke after the game, “They are better individually, but they can be beaten as a team.”

In the last two years, the USA has been defeated regularly. Since France beat them in the Basketball World Cup Quarterfinals two years ago, the USA has been just 3-5 in their last games with NBA players included on the roster. Notably losing to Australia and Nigeria in their Olympic tune-up matches.

USA coach Gregg Popovich said, “I think that’s a little bit of hubris if you think the Americans are supposed to just roll out the balls and win. We’ve got to work for it just like everybody else. And for those 40 minutes, they played better than we did.” 

In the 144 Olympic Games all-time for the USA, this was just their sixth loss. Since the 1992 “Dream Team,” the USA has one gold at every Olympics other than 2004 where a bronze medal was earned. This team still can win gold at the 2020 games, but there is no guarantee with the recent state of play. 

“Evan was amazing. I don’t want to use big, big, big words, but he made some very big shots,” said French coach Vincent Collet. 

The USA’s loss does not eliminate them for gold contention but does make the path much more difficult, essentially eliminating room for error. They must win their next two group games versus Iran and the Czech Republic to move onto the quarterfinals. 

USA forward Draymond Green stated, “We have to defend better down the stretch and close games out.”

The USA looks to improve upon this last performance in their must-win game versus Iran on Wednesday. 

Switzerland defeated the defending World Cup champions, France, in the 2020 Euros via penalty kicks on Monday.

Switzerland opened the scoring with a Haris Seferovic header and carried this 1-0 lead through halftime. A Swiss penalty kick was turned away by French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and Karim Benzema furthered this momentum in the form of a goal to level the score at 1-1. Another goal quickly thereafter from Benzema pushed France to a 2-1 lead. Paul Pogba then struck a beautiful ball past the Swiss goalkeeper to double France’s lead and it seemed that the sluggish French start had been shrugged off.

Haris Seferovic, though, headed in his second goal of the game in the 80th minute, and another quick tally from Mario Gavranovic knotted the score at 3 apiece.

Kylian Mbappé had an extraordinary chance in extra time to send France to victory, but his in-tight shot was hammered into the side netting rather than the back of the goal. This miss, alongside no Switzerland conversions, sent the game to penalty kicks for a final decision.

Mbappé had a chance to redeem himself at the spot, but his shot was deflected away by Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, clinching the upset victory for Switzerland.

“It’s hugely disappointing. We completely messed up our first half. We reacted in the second half but then left them space and they came back,” noted France defender Raphael Varane.

With the win, Switzerland faces perennial powerhouse Spain in the quarterfinals, who won in extra time against Croatia by a score of 5-3.

The Rugby World Cup will be touching all corners of Japan in the upcoming tournament in September.

GET RUGBY WORLD CUP TICKETS HERE!

The tournament kicks off the 20th, where the host nation Japan will face Russia in the Tokyo Stadium at the heart of the city. Tickets for the opener range from $500 to over $1000 for the opener. The next day, three games will kick off, including Argentina and France facing back at the Tokyo Stadium, sixth-ranked Australia will face ninth-ranked Fiji face at the Sapporo Dome. Tickets for that match are as low as $117. To finish the Saturday fixtures, top-ranked New Zealand will face fourth-ranked South Africa at the International Stadium in Yokohama. The lowest price of ticket for the New Zealand match is $609.

For the Sunday fixtures, Ireland will face Scotland, both ranked within the top 10, respectively. Tickets for that match are as low as $340 at the International Stadium in Yokohama.

September 26 is the first fixture for the United States. At the Kobe Misaki Stadium, the United States will face fifth-ranked England. In a friendly before the tournament, the U.S. faced Canada in Colorado this past weekend, where they beat the Canadians 47-19. Ben Landry and the squad dominated the second half. 

“We wanted to be one of the more physical teams in this tournament, and lead that into the World Cup,” Landry said, according to USArugby.org. “I think we brought that today.”

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The U.S. perhaps have the toughest group in the Rugby World Cup group play. They have to beat out England, France, Argentina and Tonga. Pool C contains just one team with one World Cup trophy, but is the most-balanced group out of the four groups.

Pool A obtains Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia and the Samoans. Pool B has the most World Cups in their group, with New Zealand and South Africa holding three and two titles, respectively. The final grouping, Pool D, has Australia, with two trophies under their belt. Wales, Georgia, Fiji and Uruguay are all part of that pool as well.

Here is the full schedule and list of games for the 2019 Rugby World Cup!

Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Russia
7:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Fiji
1:45 PM – Sapporo Dome, Sapporo-shi, 01, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs Argentina
4:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT SEP 21
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs South Africa
6:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Italy vs Namibia
2:15 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Scotland
4:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN SEP 22
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs Tonga
7:15 PM – Sapporo Dome, Sapporo-shi, 01, JP

MON SEP 23
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Georgia
7:15 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

TUE SEP 24
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Russia vs Samoa
7:15 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

WED SEP 25
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Fiji vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Iwate, JP

THU SEP 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Italy vs Canada
4:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

THU SEP 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs USA
7:45 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Argentina vs Tonga
1:45 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Ireland
4:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT SEP 28
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Namibia
6:45 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SUN SEP 29
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Georgia vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

SUN SEP 29
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Wales
4:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

MON SEP 30
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Scotland vs Samoa
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

WED OCT 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs USA
4:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

WED OCT 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Canada
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Georgia vs Fiji
2:15 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

THU OCT 3
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Russia
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

FRI OCT 4
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Italy
6:45 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Uruguay
2:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs Argentina
5:00 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT OCT 5
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Samoa
7:30 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SUN OCT 6
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Namibia
1:45 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SUN OCT 6
Rugby World Cup 2019 – France vs Tonga
4:45 PM – Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, JP

TUE OCT 8
Rugby World Cup 2019 – South Africa vs Canada
7:15 PM – Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe, Hyogo, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Argentina vs USA
1:45 PM – Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya, Saitama, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Scotland vs Russia
4:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

WED OCT 9
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Fiji
6:45 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

FRI OCT 11
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Australia vs Georgia
7:15 PM – Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi, Shizuoka, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs Italy
1:45 PM – Toyota stadium, Toyota, Aichi, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – England vs France
5:15 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SAT OCT 12
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Ireland vs Samoa
7:45 PM – Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Namibia vs Canada
12:15 PM – Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Iwate, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – USA vs Tonga
2:45 PM – Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Wales vs Uruguay
5:15 PM – Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, JP

SUN OCT 13
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Japan vs Scotland
7:45 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SAT OCT 19
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 1
4:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SAT OCT 19
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 2
7:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SUN OCT 20
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 3
4:15 PM – Oita Stadium, Oita, Oita, JP

SUN OCT 20
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Quarter Final 4
7:15 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT OCT 26
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Semi Final 1
5:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

SUN OCT 27
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Semi Final 2
6:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

FRI NOV 1
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Bronze Final
6:00 PM – Tokyo Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, JP

SAT NOV 2
Rugby World Cup 2019 – Final
6:00 PM – International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JP

Back in March, the United States Women’s National Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit with an open court to the United States Soccer Federation over their players’ salaries, and how they deserve equal pay.

The USSF’s president Carlos Cordeiro released a statement this week regarding the women’s team’s pay relative to the men’s, saying that the women’s team is not only paid equally to the men’s team, it is in fact paid more. The statement is a collection of both teams’ financial data over almost a decade, and shows the women’s team earned nearly $8 million more than the men’s team over that period, despite the latter group producing 65% of U.S. Soccer’s overall revenue.

The men’s team produces almost two-thirds of the revenue for both teams because of sponsorships, TV deals and overall viewership. The 2015 Women’s World Cup had around 764 million viewers that were added up within the entire tournament, according to the Washington Examiner. Compare that to the 1.1 billion viewers that watched just the 2018 World Cup Final between France and Croatia. The entire men’s World Cup racked up almost 3.6 billion total viewers.

The equal pay issue is complicated at best. According to the statement, the two teams are on entirely different pay structures, which is negotiated in contracts with those parties.

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Molly Levinson, a representative for the women’s team, responded to the statement openly, saying, “this is a sad attempt by the USSF to quell the overwhelming tide of support the USWNT has received from everyone from fans to sponsors to the United States Congress,” she said, according to ESPN. “The USSF has repeatedly admitted that it does not pay the women equally and that it does not believe the women even deserve to be paid equally. This is why they use words like ‘fair’ and ‘equitable,’ not ‘equal,’ in describing pay.”

The USSF also said that from 2009 to 2019, the women’s team has produced a total net loss of $27 million, compared to a $3 million net loss for the men’s team over the same time period.

The USMNT released a statement following the letter the USSF released. “The USMNT players were not impressed with US Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro’s letter made public on Monday. The Federation downplays contributions to the sport when it suits them. This is more of the same from a Federation that is constantly in disputes and litigation and focuses on increasing revenue and profits without any idea how to use that money to grow the sport. One way to increase profit unfairly is to refuse to pay national team players a fair share of the revenue they generate,” the statement read, according to ESPN.

The U.S. Women’s National Team is through to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup after a rigorous 2-1 win over Spain.

The game started thick and fast, as winger Tobin Heath went down inside the box and was awarded a penalty kick in the 7th minute. Megan Rapinoe stepped up and gave the USWNT a 1-0 lead. Spain didn’t wait long to equalize. Sending a solid pressing unit, Jennifer Hermoso scored just two minutes later to level the score. Spain’s 9th-minute goal was the first goal conceded by the USWNT defense in this year’s World Cup. Both teams after that disrupted a fluidity in passing with one another conceding chippy fouls, making the tension inside the stadium expand. Spain finished the game with 18 total fouls, compared to the United States’ four. In the end, both defenses and midfield were solidly compact, allowing few chances. Through halftime and 75 minutes of play, the U.S. was rewarded with another penalty kick, which Rapinoe put away in the 79th minute to give the U.S. a 2-1 win.

The United States will now face the hosts of this year’s World Cup, France. The French side was brought to extra-time in the Round of 16 game against Brazil, but prevailed nonetheless. The two teams are perhaps the most well-matched in terms of physical play, as the French side beat the United States in a friendly last January.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“This is what everybody wanted,” said Rapinoe, according to Yahoo Sports. “This is one of the biggest games that you could dream about as a kid.”

The match is being played at Paris Saint-Germain’s stadium, Le Parc des Princes, and is expected to be a fully sold-out occasion. The match starts at 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday and will be broadcasted on FOX Sports 1 and can also be streamed on FOX Sports Go.

According to FanDuel, the moneyline is sitting at +125 for the USA and +230 for France. The spread is in favor for the U.S. at -1, and the over/under is set at 2.5.

“So many times when we play in big games, it’s actually when I get more excited,” head coach Jill Ellis of the United States said, according to Yahoo Sports. “It means more, it matters more, there’s more at stake. And that’s why you do this. What a showcase it is. Let’s go for it.”

The 2019 Women’s World Cup hosted by France kicked off this week, and for the next month, 24 countries will be competing to hoist the trophy. After the U.S. Women’s National Team started their group play in a dominating fashion, beating Thailand 13-0, fans of the sport and public officials have raised their concern surrounding the widening gap of equal pay between men’s and women’s soccer.

According to CNBC, FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared that the prize pool of the 2019 Women’s World cup would be $30 million, with $4 million going to the winners. During last year’s Men’s World Cup, 32 teams competed for the $400 million prize pool with the winners, France, taking home $38 million.

The USWNT is in line with a gender discrimination lawsuit with the United States Soccer Federation regarding their players’ salaries compared to their Men’s National Team counterparts, according to The Hill. The Men’s National Team failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup after losing their clinching qualifying game against Trinidad and Tobago.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

To possibly explain the widening gap, the men’s tournaments usually generate more TV revenue and overall viewership. During the 2018 men’s World Cup, almost 3.6 billion total viewers tuned in to watch, with the France vs. Croatia final gathering 1.1 billion viewers, according to the Washington Examiner. Compared to the 2015 Women’s World Cup that around 764 million viewers were added up.

Another reason revenue isn’t as generated is there are no major leagues that involve clubs for women’s soccer in major countries, such as France. There are almost 160,000 French women playing, but less than 200 are currently on a contract, according to Equal Times. There has been progress, however, as the French Federation is looking to build a league of clubs that would consist of TV deals and sponsorships that are essential to keep a league up and running.

The economies between the two counterparts are immense, and while activists of either side argue, there are small steps being implemented to even the gap as much as possible. The spotlight between the two is a complicated issue at best. According to CNBC, if the Women’s World Cup prize pool doubled every year, it would take until 2039 for theirs to equal the men’s. For now, the USWNT can focus on the field during this month’s tournament, and attempt to win back-to-back World Cups to let their play do the talking.

Kylian Mbappé emerged as the French national soccer team’s biggest young star, and now he is putting Sunday’s FIFA World Cup winnings to good use.

France’s Kylian Mbappe To Donate World Cup 2018 Earnings

The 19-year-old Paris St-Germain forward announced just hours after France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia that he would be donating his salary from the tournament to a French charity named Premiers de Cordee that provides free athletic training to disabled and hospitalized children who participate in sports.

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the organization also strives to promote awareness about disabilities in businesses and schools.

“Kylian is a great person,” Sebastien Ruffin, the head of Premiers de Cordee, told French news outlet Le Parisien. “When his schedule allows it, he intervenes for us with pleasure. He has a very good [relationship] with children, he always finds the right [words] to encourage them. I sometimes even feel that [he] takes more pleasure to play with the kids than the kids themselves.”

Mbappé made history in Sunday’s World Cup final by becoming the second teenager to ever score in the tournament’s title game, after Brazilian legend Pele did it in 1958 against Sweden. Mbappé finished the World Cup with four goals and won the Best Young Player Award.

According to Sports Illustrated, the French youngster earns approximately $22,500 per game with bonuses. The magazine also reported that Mbappé would earn an additional $350,000 if France won the World Cup.

France won its second FIFA World Cup title on Sunday after defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia.

World Cup Final 2018 Top Moments

The victory was particularly meaningful for France, as it came 20 years after they won their first World Cup trophy in 1998, the year the country hosted the tournament. France’s head coach on Sunday, 49-year-old Didier Deschamps, was the captain of that 1998-winning team. France also lost the Euro 2016 final to Portugal in Paris, so Sunday’s win was a great way for the French to bounce back to victory.

This was also the World Cup final with most goals scored since 1966, when England defeated West Germany 4-2 in London to win its first-ever title.

Here are some of the top moments from Sunday’s game:

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

France’s first goal

Les Bleus opened the scoring 18 minutes into the match with an own goal from Croatia, who were playing in their first-ever World Cup final. Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann took a free kick after he was fouled just outside the box. Mario Mandzukic, who scored Croatia’s game-winning goal against England in the semi-finals, jumped to head the ball, but it flew behind him and into his team’s own net.

Croatia ties it up

Croatia tied it 1-1 almost exactly ten minutes after France’s goal. After a Luka Modric free kick and a few headers in the box, Ivan Perisic takes down the ball, makes a quick touch and fires it past goalkeeper Hugo LLoris. The shot reportedly brushed against French defender Raphael Varane’s hip.

France converts penalty after handball in box

In the 34th minute, Griezmann takes a corner kick and France’s Blaise Matuidi heads the ball wide of the near post. However, the French start imploring the referee to check for a handball on Perisic. After a three-minute video assistant referee (VAR) review, France is awarded a penalty and Griezmann successfully fires a low shot to send goalie Danijel Subašić the wrong way and put his team up 2-1.

Protesters run onto field

In the 52nd minute, four anti-Kremlin protestors stormed onto the field. It was later revealed that the woman and three men — who high-fived or otherwise touched some of the players and were quickly removed by security — were members of the Russian punk rock group and political activists Pussy Riot. The foursome were dressed in police uniforms because they were attempting to make a statement about the corrupt nature of public servants in the country. The protest was also likely a statement against President Vladimir Putin. 

SLIDESHOW: Sports Figures Who Died In 2018

Paul Pogba scores game winner

Manchester United midfielder Pogba had delivered many solid defensive saves this World Cup, but his shining moment came in the 59th minute, when he scored his first goal of the tournament. After Kylian Mbappé raced down the line, he fed Griezmann, who in turn tapped the ball to Pogba after a few quick juggles. The Manchester United star fired a first shot from just outside the box that was blocked by a Croatian defender, but then comfortable slotted a high shot to make it 3-1.

Mbappé makes history

Six minutes later, 19-year-old Mbappé made history by becoming the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Brazilian legend Pele did it twice in 1958 at age 17. The Paris Saint-Germain forward took a pass from Lucas Hernandez and fired a low shot from well outside the box that left Subasic stunned and made it 4-1. The crowd of French fans at Luzhniki Stadium roared even louder.

Lloris messes up, gives Croatia a goal

Four minutes after Mbappé slotted home, Croatia got its second goal after Lloris made a terrible mistake that could have been easily avoided. After taking the ball and facing a pressuring Mandzukic, the French goalie tried to take an extra step to beat him and then kick off, but the ball ran into the Croatian star’s foot and Mandzukic simply tapped it in from about two yards out to redeem himself for his early own goal and make it 4-2.

During the trophy ceremony later on — which saw Putin, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatia President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović all in attendance — Modric won the Golden Ball, awarded to the World Cup’s best player, while Mbappé was named the tournament’s best young player. England captain Harry Kane won the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s top scorer. Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove Award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

France’s players danced, jumped in elation and even gathered to pick up Deschamps and toss him in the air as rain poured down in Moscow.

Many famous athletes and other celebrities, as well as other fans, also took to social media to congratulate France on their victory or comment on the final:

France and Croatia will face off in the FIFA World Cup Final this Sunday, and here is what you need to know.

FIFA World Cup Final Preview

The final will start at 11am EST and will be played in Moscow, Russia. The game will air on Fox Sports. France are considered the heavy favorites to win, as this will be Les Bleus’ third World Cup title game appearance, after 1998 — they year they hosted and won the tournament — and 2006, when they lost to Italy on penalties. This year, they beat Belgium 1-0 in Tuesday’s semi-final.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Meanwhile, Croatia will be playing in their first-ever World Cup final after earning a surprising, 2-1 comeback victory over England in Wednesday’s semi-final. Croatia — the second-smallest country to ever reach the World Cup final, after Uruguay — won all three of its group stage games this year, only one of three national teams to do so, and this is their fifth time participating in the tournament, the other four times coming in the last 20 years. They even defeated Argentina 3-0!

France struggled in the first round but ultimately improved in the later stages of the tournament. Antoine Griezmann, teenager Kylian Mbappe and Samuel Umtiti will likely prove to be some of the strongest players on the French squad, while Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic have proven to be some of Croatia’s most threatening players.

SLIDESHOW: Sports Figures Who Died In 2018

French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has also been stellar for his team, and could probably continue his strong performance streak on Sunday, and Paul Pogba has also been a major asset on defense.

France also lost the UEFA Euro 2016 final in Paris to Portugal, so Sunday’s game could also be their opportunity to redeem themselves following that brutal defeat.

France reached its third FIFA World Cup final on Tuesday after defeating Belgium 1-0 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

France Beats Belgium 1-0 In World Cup Semifinal

Samuel Umtiti scored for Les Bleus on a 51st-minute header off a corner kick from Antoine Griezmann. Umtiti beat Marouane Fellaini for the header that got past goalie Thibaut Courtois. France will face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal — England or Croatia — in Sunday’s final in Moscow.

The French squad is seeking it second World Cup trophy after winning in 1998, the year France hosted. Belgium, who has never won the tournament, will now have to wait at least four more years for its first title.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Eden Hazard proved to be one of Belgium’s strongest players on Tuesday: the Chelsea forward made several threatening drives with the ball and shots throughout the game, but couldn’t finish. Belgium’s other top starts, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, did not contribute to the team as much as they did in their previous game against Brazil. De Bruyne helped set up some plays and had a solid strike or two on target, but Umtiti, Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and the rest of France’s offense proved too powerful for Belgium.  Mbappé was tackled to the ground a lot in this game, which included so many injuries that a whopping six minutes were added for second-half stoppage time.

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Paul Pogba also delivered a solid defensive performance for France, as did Umtiti and Raphael Varane. France had more shots in the first half, although Belgium dominated possession.

France also reached the World Cup final in Germany in 2006, but lost to Italy on penalties after a 1-1 tie in regulation. Zinedine Zidane famously earned a red card in that game, his last international contest with France, after head-butting Italy’s Marco Materazzi. 

France and Belgium will face off in the FIFA World Cup semifinals next week after defeating Uruguay and Brazil, respectively in Russia on Friday.

France, Belgium Reach World Cup Semifinals

The two European teams will play on Tuesday at 2pm EST after France beat Uruguay 2-0 in Nizhny Novgorod, and Belgium eliminated five-time tournament champions Brazil with a 2-1 victory in Kazan to inch one step closer to their first-ever World Cup title.

Defenseman Raphael Varane and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann scored for France, who won their first and only World Cup in 1998, the year they hosted the tournament. Before Friday, Uruguay had only allowed one goal in this World Cup, to Portugal in their previous game. On Friday, Edinson Cavani — who scored both goals against Portugal — sat out for Uruguay.

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Varane put Les Bleus up 1-0 in the 40th minute with a header on a free kick from Griezmann that Uruguay goalie Fernando Muslera simply couldn’t stop. Griezmann doubled the lead in the 61st minute with a powerful far strike that Muslera initially blocked with his hands, although he couldn’t hold onto the ball and it soared above his head and into the net.

Griezmann was elated with the win but was classy in celebrating his victory. He shook hands with and hugged several Uruguayans, two of which are his club teammates in Madrid: Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez. 

French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris also delivered a great game by making some spectacular saves, including one on a low header from Martín Cáceres near the end of the first half, just minutes after Varane’s goal.

France forward Kylian Mbappé, the 19-year-old Paris St-Germain attacker who is proving to be his national team’s rising star, was not as effective this game as the last, during which he scored two goals against Argentina. In fact, Mbappé drew a yellow card in the 68th minute after the referee accused him of exaggerating an injury from a tackle made by Uruguay’s Cristian Rodriguez. The replay clearly showed Mbappé did not react immediately to being hit, as there was a delay of about two seconds between when Rodriguez made the tackle and Mbappé fell to the ground, yelping and rolling in pain just as Neymar did in the Brazil-Mexico game. Rodriguez also received a yellow card for the incident.

Later on Friday, Belgium beat Brazil 2-1 after scoring twice in the first half. Embarrassingly enough, Belgium’s first goal was an early own goal from Brazil. In the 13th minute, Belgium took a corner kick and Brazilian defender Fernandinho leaped and accidentally knocked the ball into his own goal with his arm.

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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a well-placed long, low shot in the 31st minute. Brazilian substitute Renato Augusto created suspense in the 76th minute to score on a header and make it 2-1, but the South American squad ended up going home, four years after they were knocked out of the World Cup by a humiliating 7-1 semifinal loss to eventual champions Germany. Belgian goalie Thibaut Courtois made several key saves for his team, including a late one on a shot from Neymar.

The second World Cup semifinal will be defined on Saturday evening, after Sweden and England face off before Croatia and Russia play each other.

Two of the four 2018 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals will be held in Russia on Friday, and here is what you need to know.

World Cup Quarterfinals Preview

First, France and Uruguay will face off at 10am EST. France won its group (while Denmark finished second), but was not as impressive as expected in the first round. However, Les Bleus put on a stellar performance in defeating Argentina 4-3 in their last (round of 16) game, led by two goals from 19-year-old rising star Kylian Mbappé, who has now scored three times in the tournament.

Uruguay was just one of three teams in the tournament to win all three of its first-round games. The squad then defeated Portugal 2-1 in the round of 16 behind two goals from “El Matador” Edinson Cavani, who limped off the field in the second half after becoming injured. He is thus questionable for Friday’s quarterfinal.

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Uruguay have only allowed one goal this World Cup, to Portugal’s Pepe on Saturday. Uruguay has won two World Cups (1930, 1950), while France has won once (1998).

Both teams will surely pose a major threat to each other, as they both eliminated squads led by two of the world’s top soccer superstars: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. France also has a nine-game undefeated run against South American teams in the World Cup, so there is that to consider as well. However, this World Cup has been full of firsts and surprises, so we will have to wait and see.

At 2pm EST on Friday, Brazil and Beligum — two of the top-ranked teams in the World Cup — will face off. Belgium has scored 12 goals thus far in the tournament, the most of any team. They have also demonstrated they can score very different kinds of goals, both long, powerful strikes and headers. The Red Devils also won all three of their group-stage games, and count top players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.

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Regarding Brazil, most of the attention will again be on Neymar. The star Paris St-Germain forward drew severe criticism for exaggerating his injuries and wasting time in his team’s 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday, despite finishing with a goal and an assist. Brazilian defenseman Casemiro is also suspended from the game against Belgium after drawing two total yellow cards. Brazil have won a record five World Cups, while Belgium has never won the tournament.

First-round group play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup is finally over, and the second round will start on Saturday in Russia.

FIFA World Cup Round Of 16 weekend Preview

Germany’s fans are still in shock from the defending champions being eliminated by South Korea on Wednesday, the first time ever in the national team’s history. Of the 32 teams that qualified for the World Cup, 16 are still in.

This weekend, four games will be played: two on Saturday and two on Sunday. All games will air on Fox Sports and Telemundo (English and Spanish broadcasts, respectively).

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First on Saturday, Argentina and France will face off at 10am EST. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, barely made it to the round of 16 after finishing second in its group with four points. (Croatia led that group with nine points). France finished at the top of its group with seven points, but also struggled in its first three games. The French, who won the 1998 World Cup, tied Denmark 0-0 in their last game, while Argentina — who lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final — beat Nigeria 2-1.

At 2pm EST, Uruguay and Portugal will play each other. Led by superstars like Luis Suarez, Uruguay won all three of its group-stage games to reach the round 16, and could pose a severe threat to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, which only defeated Morocco in the first round.

On Sunday at 10am, Spain and Russia will face off. Spain’s offense has not been as strong as in other tournaments, but the 2010 World Cup champions are still highly projected to defeat Russia in this round, despite the latter country’s home advantage.

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At 2pm, Denmark and Croatia will play. Croatia’s Luka Modric has been particularly impressive, and the team that thrashed Argentina 3-0 in the opening round will surly do fine against the Danes.

The other eight countries who will compete in the round of 16 are Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, England and Colombia. Those national teams will next play on Monday or Tuesday.

Chris Froome claims he was intentionally struck by a car while training in southern France early Tuesday, though the British Team Sky cyclist added he was not injured.

Team Sky Cyclist Chris Froome of Britain Hit By Driver in France

The three-time Tour de France champion, who will be 32 later this month, tweeted a photo of his damaged bike and called the driver “impatient”, adding that the driver didn’t even stop and that he will report the incident to local authorities.

“Just got rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me onto the pavement!” Froome wrote. “Thankfully I’m okay. Bike totaled. Driver kept going!”

Froome took the picture in Beausoleil, France, which is near his Monaco home.

His bicycle, which is reportedly worth approximately £9,000 (about $11,634) sustained damage to both wheels and its frame.

Froome, who last won the Tour de France in 2016, will hope to win his third straight title when this year’s race begins July 1 in Dusseldorf, Germany, since the first two stages of the competition are held outside of France. The Tour de France will end on July 23.

Should Froome win this year’s event, the Brit will become the fifth cyclist to ever do so four times, joining Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

The Team Sky rider first won the Tour de France in 2013. His crash Tuesday comes after the death of Italian cyclist Michele Scarponi, who was involved in his own collision with a van during a training ride in April.

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – JULY 14: Christopher Froome of Great Britain riding for Team Sky in the yellow leader’s jersey crosses the finish line after stage twelve, a 178km stage from Monpellier to Chalet-Reynard near the Mont Ventoux on July 14, 2016 in Montpellier, France. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Restrictions

Alex Morgan, a star forward for the U.S. Women’s National Team and the Orlando Pride, has signed a half-season contract with French team Olympique Lyonnais, a club viewed by many as the best women’s club team in the world.

U.S. Women’s Soccer Star Alex Morgan Signs With French Club Lyon

The 27-year-old will join the Champions League holders in January and remain with the team through the end of the current season.

Morgan has scored 73 goals for the U.S. and been capped 120 times. She now joins a club that has won the last 10 French titles, and will rejoin the Pride in early June. Morgan said her ability to return to play for Orlando was an important factor in her decision to sign with Lyon.

“I will be immersed in a soccer culture that I believe is precisely what I need at this point in my career,” Morgan, who helped the U.S. women win 2012 Olympic gold in London, wrote in The Players Tribune on Tuesday. “I’m in my prime right now but that isn’t going to last forever. I’m not looking to coast. I want to be the best player in the United States and the best player in the world.”

 Morgan added she was happy to be healthy again this year, although she was disappointed with the U.S.’s quarterfinal exit from the Rio 2016 Olympics, as well as her own personal performance in the Summer Games.

Before going on a long-planned European vacation with her husband and family, Morgan visited Lyon for two days at the end of November to observe the facilities, as well as practices, and meet people at the club.

 “Every training is competitive,” Morgan said of Lyon, which features world-class players from Germany (Dzsenifer Marozsán), Norway (Ada Hegerberg), Japan (Saki Kumagai), Sweden (Caroline Seger) and France (Wendi Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer, Claire Lavogez, Camille Abily, Amel Majri and Élodie Thomis). “Going into a competitive environment like that where I need to show my best self every single day is going to definitely challenge me and make me prove my best every single day. I like that challenge. I also want to prove that I’m one of the best if not the best in the world at my position, and I think there’s no better way than to go in and play with the best.”

Morgan added she had spoken to several people about the decision to move: U.S. coach Jill Ellis, who gave her blessing; USWNT teammate Megan Rapinoe, who had previously played for Lyon, and former club teammate Seger, who had positive things to say about the club.

Morgan also said her husband, Carrasco, is renegotiating his deal with Orlando City, and they expect he will play with the team in 2017.

Finally, Morgan cited the uncertainty over the labor situation between the USWNT players and U.S. Soccer as another factor that influenced her decision to leave for France. The collective bargaining agreement expires on December 31, which means the contracts for Morgan and other national team players at the international and club level—U.S. Soccer pays the club salaries of national team players—will expire at the end of the month.

 BRASILIA, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Alex Morgan #13 of United States controls the ball against Nilla Fischer #5 of Sweden during the Women’s Football Quarterfinal match at Mane Garrincha Stadium on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 12, 2016 in Brasilia, Brazil. Sweden won 1-1 (4-3 PSO) against the United States. (Photo by Celso Junior/Getty Images)

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team — the 2015 World Cup champions — were lucky to avoid a surprisingly powerful French team that lost to Germany in a quarterfinal match in which France appeared to be the stronger side.

U.S. Women’s Soccer Beat France 1-0 In First-Round Olympic Game

The Americans defeated Les Bleus 1-0 on Saturday at the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte for their second straight first-round Olympic game. They defeated New Zealand  in their opening match on Wednesday. They have now advanced to the tournament quarterfinals, and have one more first-round game to play– against Colombia, in the Amazon.

U.S. goalie Hope Solo was again jeered in a game during which France earned most of the scoring opportunities. The French defeated Colombia in their opening game and have yet to play New Zealand. They have a good chance to progress to the quarterfinals.

The game’s lone goal came in the 63rd minute when Tobin Heath fired a shot that deflected off the right post and fell near captain Carli Lloyd, who rapidly tapped the ball into the net. Lloyd also scored the opening Olympic goal for the US women’s team on Wednesday.

Before and after the goal, France created frightening moments for the U.S. Nevertheless, Solo was always there to make the stop. Late in the first half, Marie Laure Delie broke away alone on Solo’s left and kicked a shot that the U.S. keeper managed to catch between her legs.

After that, 76 minutes into the match, Solo made a quick save on a close-in header.

France outshot the U.S., 14-7, and had eight corer kicks compared to three for the Americans. The French also hit the crossbar on a free kick in the 16th minute of the first half on a shot that the diving Solo was just able to tip slightly upward.

Exactly as it happened on Wednesday’s game, the crowd booed and mocked Solo every time the ball came close to her, and when she kicked it off, chants of “Zika! Zika!’’ filled the Stadium. The chants mock the goalkeeper because of several Twitter posts she made in July referring to mosquitoes and the Zika virus. One included a photo of Solo wearing what appeared to be a beekeeper’s mask; another showed dozens of containers of insect repellent spread across a bed.

Solo subsequently expressed sympathy for the people of Brazil when she and her teammates landed in Rio, but the locals clearly do not seem to have forgiven her yet.

The rest of the U.S. women’s squad played an average game. On offense, Crystal Dunn started in place of Mallory Pugh, although Dunn did not have the impact she did when she came on during the second half on Wednesday, her Olympic debut. On defense, Whitney Engen replaced the injured Julie Johnston. 

Megan Rapinoe, who injured her knee last December, still did not get a chance to play. Alex Morgan and Morgan Brian had brief moments where it looked possible they might score, but neither was able to deliver. The U.S. Women’s team, who did not lose a single match in last year’s World Cup, has yet to drop one in Rio either.

BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL – AUGUST 06: Crystal Dunn of United States and Amel Majri of France battle for the ball during the Women’s Group G first round match between United States and France during Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Mineirao Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Paul Pogba has hinted that he is open to moving to Manchester United this summer, describing his former club as his ‘first family’ in a recent ESPN interview and refusing to commit to his current club, Juventus.

French Midfielder Paul Pogba Suggests He Is Open To Joining Manchester United

Man U have been pursuing the French midfielder all summer with Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho’s naming the 23-year-old a key acquisition before his first season in charge at Old Trafford. Real Madrid are also reportedly interested in Pogba, but have been put off by the €100 million ($111 million) valuation put on him by Juventus. The Italian club remain hopeful of keeping him in Turin and intend to offer the player, who was fundamental to them retaining the Serie A title last season, an improved contract now that he has returned from representing his country at home at Euro 2016.

Pogba played for United at youth level before joining Juventus in 2012. He and France lost to Portugal 1-0 in Sunday’s UEFA Euro 2016 final.

Interviewed in Spanish by ESPN in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Pogba was presented with three shirts – a Juventus one, a Real Madrid one and a Manchester United one. Asked what Juventus mean to him, he said: “That’s my team, my family, it’s where I am playing.”

Regarding Real, the midfielder said: “They won the Champions League this year. They are a great club.”

When he was lastly asked about United, Pogba simply said: “It was my first family.”

He was then asked how he would react if Mourinho called and asked him to play for United.

“I don’t know. Let’s see, let’s see,” said Pogba. “For the moment, I am here [Juventus] and I am happy here, but I don’t know where I want to go.”

United have already acquired three big names this summer: Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

In his first press conference as United manager, Mourniho made clear that he wants to make a fourth signing before the start of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign, and many believe he was referring to Pogba.

ROME, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Paul Pogba of Juventus FC celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Juventus FC at Stadio Olimpico on November 22, 2014 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Portugal defeated France 1-0 in extra time in the UEFA Euro 2016 final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on Sunday, despite losing star forward Cristiano Ronaldo early in the game to injury.

Portugal Loses Ronaldo But Beats France 1-0 For Euro 2016 Title

Just 24 minutes into the final, Ronaldo went down after being tackled by French defenseman Dimitri Payet. The Real Madrid star grimaced and cried as he clutched his left knee, and after attempting to shrug the injury off, was forced to exit. Ronaldo handed his captain armband to his teammate, Valencia winger Nani, and was carried off the field.

Payet injured Ronaldo in the eighth minute, after poking the ball away from him with one foot while Payet’s trailing leg crashed into the side of the Portuguese’s left knee. Ronaldo tried to play on, but fell again twice due to the pain.

The Portuguese players and fans clearly seemed anxious for a few moments because of the 31-year-old forward’s ill-timed injury, but the team carried on playing with Nani as its leader, determined to win their first-ever European Championship.

Ronaldo demonstrated his unending dedication to his squad, however, by cheering on his teammates from the sidelines for the rest of the game, hobbling up and down the field with a bandage around his knee.

“We said we would win it for him,” said Portugal and Real Madrid defender Pepe of Ronaldo, grinning. “And we just managed to win it for him.”

Portugal’s run at the tournament was strange, as they appeared to have struggled from the very beginning. They tied all three of their first-round games, finishing in third place in their group (behind Hungary and Iceland), but somehow barely made it to the round of 16 as well.

Then, they edged past Croatia in extra time and defeated Poland in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. Portugal’s subsequent 2-0 semifinal victory against Wales on Wednesday was their only win in regulation of the tournament.

Many critics will say Portugal was disappointing throughout the tournament for all these reasons, in addition to the fact they led for only 73 minutes of the 720 they played in total. However, they proved in the end that they were resilient.

“It defies description; it could be a Hollywood movie,” Portugal defenseman José Fonte said afterward. “We’ve written our names down in history.”

When the final whistle blew after 120-plus minutes of playing time, the Portuguese players piled on top of each other in celebration, while the French players simply bowed their heads and sat or stood on the field in dismay. After a year that was marked by terrorist attacks in Paris, nationwide flooding and constant worker strikes, France was hoping a Euro 2016 victory would give them a chance to celebrate something.

France had plenty of great attacking plays and scoring chances all throughout the afternoon, including a shot from forward Andre-Pierre Gignac in stoppage time, with one minute left in regulation, that hit the left post. Gignac took a low cross from defenseman Patrice Evra in the box, and after deftly maneuvering around Pepe twice, fired a right-footer as Fonte and Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio both slid to make a stop. However, the ball caromed off inside of the near post, and no one seemed there to take the rebound.

Rising French star Antoine Griezmann, who scored both goals against Germany in the semifinal, took several shots in both halves but could not find the back of the net, running back in frustration to recover for the next play every time he kicked or headed a ball over the crossbar or into Patricio’s arms.

French goalie Hugo Lloris also made several key saves, including two successive ones in the 80th minute. The first one came from a high shot by Nani from just outside the top-right corner of the box. Lloris jumped to bat it in front with one hand, and Ricardo Quaresma– who came on to replace Ronaldo– attempted a rebound with a bicycle kick following a high bounce, but Lloris caught the ball safely in his hands.

“Football can be very cruel,” said Lloris, who is France’s captain. “The overriding emotion is a lot of sadness.”

Portuguese forward Eder was the one to deliver his team’s saving grace with the lone goal in the 109th minute. With France pushing forward to try to score in the second half of extra time, an opening arose for Portugal. Eder– who had come on as a substitute just a few minutes earlier– slid to his right just outside the penalty area and found a space between a pair of French defenders to fire a low shot from about 25 yards out that flew past LLoris’s right side and into the goal as he made a low dive.

Eder– a forward who is often criticized for inconsistent play– committed a handball just outside the France box one minute before scoring the goal. However, French defenseman Laurent Koscielny was booked for the handball instead. Portugal defender Raphaël Guerreiro took the shot, which bounced off the crossbar.

“We knew we could surprise them at any moment,” Éder said. “So that’s what we did.”

Once the celebrations began after the end of the match, Nani, ran up to Ronaldo on the sideline and returned the captain’s armband as the Real Madrid star teared up again– this time with joy– after pouncing on Portugal’s manager, Fernando Santos. 

The French trudged up to receive their silver medals. The Portuguese fans never stopped singing. Ronaldo joined his teammates on the dais and, gingerly, stepped to the front to raise the trophy as fireworks and streamers and sparklers lit up the night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urLLQnf1B8g

PHOTO: PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 10: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal controls the ball under pressure from Paul Pogba of France during the UEFA EURO 2016 Final match between Portugal and France at Stade de France on July 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)