MOSCOW -- There were no miracles at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday. No subversion of the ancient order. Instead, the deeper, more talented side ultimately swatted away the upstarts who had come into this game with 24 hours less rest and 90 minutes more on the pitch.
After a thrilling month of football, the tournament got the finale it deserved, with France crowned as world champions for a second time, 20 years after the "Blanc, Beurre, Noir" triumph of Saint Denis.
We saw the most goals in a 90-minute final since 1958 when a teenager named Pele scored as Brazil beat Sweden; on Sunday, the great man was emulated by 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe.