France France is the current champion, having won its second championship in the 2018 tournament in Russia. The current model includes a qualification round that lasts three years to select which teams advance to the tournament phase. In 2014, 2016 and 2018, it was France who went straight through to the final.
Canada Canada has never won the Cup. It has reached the final four times but has never been able go all the way. Last year's defeat by France was its first ever finals loss.
Men play soccer for many reasons. The most obvious is that the game is fun to play and watch. Men play to show off their skills and compete against others their own age or even older people. Some men play because they can enjoy the sport without being judged based on how much they weigh or measure up against other men. Others play because it offers a chance to escape from their daily lives for a while and just have some fun with friends.
At the end of my career I hope to be playing soccer at a high level. I know that will not be easy since the game is becoming more and more popular and there are more and more young players coming through the system every year.
France The 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Russia, was won by France, who beat Croatia 4-2 in regulation time. The World Cup final match is the last of the competition, and the result determines which country is declared world champions.
In 2016, France had been defeated by Germany in the final game of the group stage. However, France won its next three matches (including a penalty shootout victory over Colombia) to secure first place in their group. In the knockout stage, France defeated Uruguay, Belgium, and England before meeting Croatia in the final game of the tournament.
Croatia Uneven record in major competitions - undefeated until now at the World Cup/European Championship stage - but failure to win any silverware means they remain one of Europe's most successful teams without a trophy. Their only previous appearance at the World Cup was in 1998 when they were knocked out by Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
However, even though they have never won a cup, Croatia are famous for their attacking football, with top players like Davor Suker and Ivan Rakitic playing for them. Winning the European Championships in 1992 meant that Croatia qualified for their first World Cup six years later. They went out in the group stage again in 2010, this time to South Africa.
France won the World Cup for the second time in 2018, defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final at Russia's Luzhniki Stadium. The victory also marked the country's comeback from being down 0-2 after their opening match against Colombia, with Kylian Mbappe scoring two goals in the last 15 minutes of the game.
France won its first World Cup in 1998 when they beat Brazil 3-1 in the final. Michel Platini's team was undefeated before the final and had a 100% record after three games. However, after losing to Germany in its opener, it lost one and drew one more game to finish as world champions.
France has been one of the most successful nations in international soccer history, having won the UEFA European Championship twice (1968, 1980) and finishing as runners-up on three other occasions (1956, 1972, 1976). It is also the only nation to have won the World Cup/Championship in France.
Currently, France is ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings behind South Africa, Spain and England. But don't be surprised if you see it climb up the table soon after adding many star players to its roster such as Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kanté, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud.
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