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LIVE BLOG: France clinches World Cup with win over Croatia

Follow all the updates in the 2018 World Cup final here.
Credit: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Antoine Griezmann of France celebrates with teammates after scoring a penalty for his team's second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

MOSCOW — France and Croatia face off in the 2018 World Cup final. Follow all the action here:

7:54 p.m.

France has clinched its second World Cup title with a 4-2 win over Croatia in a dramatic final in Moscow featuring a series of firsts and a pitch invasion orchestrated by Russian protest group Pussy Riot.

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7:29 p.m.

France has a 4-2 lead over Croatia after 70 minutes of a World Cup final that has featured a series of firsts including an own goal and a penalty awarded after a video review. And a pitch invasion that Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot has claimed responsibility for.

France led 2-1 at half time and extended the lead to 4-1 with goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe in the 59th and 65th minutes before Mario Mandzukic pulled one back for the Croatians in the 69th.

Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Hugo Lloris of France reacts following Mario Mandzukic of Croatia scoring his team's second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

7:18 p.m.

Paul Pogba has given France a 3-1 lead over Croatia in the World Cup final with a goal in the 59th minute.

7:12 p.m.

Four people dressed in suits have invaded the pitch during the second half of the World Cup final.

The four, who seemed to be wearing peaked caps, approached players and one appeared to share a high five with a France player.

Stewards dragged the people off the field after a total disruption of almost a minute while France was leading 2-1.

Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images, 2018 Getty Images
A pitch invader is stopped by Dejan Lovren of Croatia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

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7 p.m.

Records are falling like the rain coming down on the field after a wild first half of the World Cup final in Moscow.

France has a 2-1 lead over Croatia courtesy of the first own-goal and the first video-reviewed penalty in a World Cup final. The own-goal off the top of Mario Mandzukic's head was the 12th of the tournament. That's double the previous World Cup record of six.

Croatia rallied to equalize on a terrific left-foot strike by Ivan Perisic, but France took the lead right back when Perisic handled the ball in the area. Argentine referee Nestor Pitana initially didn't call the handball but spoke into his headset with colleagues in the video booth, then made the box-shaped symbol for a video review. He awarded the spot kick shortly afterward, which Antoine Griezmann sent into the net to put France back in front.

This is the first World Cup in which video review has been used.

6:48 p.m.

France leads Croatia 2-1 at halftime as it works toward its first World Cup title in 20 years.

The first half ended with thunder rolling over Moscow after France regained the lead from an Antoine Griezmann penalty in the 38th minute following the first use of video review in a World Cup final.

France had taken the lead in the 18th through Mario Mandzukic's own-goal — the first in a World Cup final and a record 12th in the tournament — off a Griezmann free kick, before Croatia's Ivan Perisic equalized with a fierce left-foot strike 10 minutes later.

Perisic was also the player who conceded the penalty with a handball at a corner. It is already the highest-scoring World Cup final since France won its only previous title in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0.

Croatia is playing in the World Cup final for the first time.

6:38 p.m.

Antoine Griezmann has given France a 2-1 lead over Croatia with a penalty after the first call made using a video review in a World Cup final.

Griezmann hit the ball hard and left as Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic jumped the other way in the 38th minute.

The spot-kick was given after the ball bounced off the arm of Croatia's Ivan Perisic at a corner before hitting his leg and going out of play. Perisic had scored for Croatia to level the game at 1-1 in the 28th minute.

There was a break of about 90 seconds as referee Nestor Pitana discussed the call with his video assistants and reviewed the footage.

Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Antoine Griezmann of France scores past Danijel Subasic of Croatia his team's second goal from the penalty spot during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

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6:28 p.m.

Croatia has leveled the score in the World Cup final against France at 1-1 on a goal from Ivan Perisic in the 28th minute.

Domagoj Vida got the ball at a free kick and passed it back to Perisic on the edge of the area. The winger controlled the ball with his right foot and used his left to fire it past French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

It's the third goal in seven games for Perisic and the first goal France has conceded since its 4-3 win over Argentina in the round of 16.

Croatia has now had equalize in four straight games after conceding the opening goal. All three preceding games went to extra time.

Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Ivan Perisic of Croatia celebrates with team mate Ante Rebic after scoring his team's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

6:18 p.m.

France has scored with the first real chance of the World Cup final as Mario Mandzukic headed a free kick into his own net.

Antoine Griezmann swung the free kick into a mass of French and Croatian players and Mandzukic diverted the ball into the net, just past goalkeeper Danijel Subasic's outstretched hand in the 18th minute.

It was the 12th own goal of the World Cup, an all-time record.

It was the first goal in regulation in a World Cup final since 2006 — the 2010 and 2014 finals were both extra time 1-0 results

Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Mario Mandzukic of Croatia scores an own goal from Antoine Griezmann of France's free-kick, France's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

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6 p.m.

Croatia's Mario Mandzukic has taken the kickoff for his team in the World Cup final against France.

As their national anthem rang out around the Luzhniki stadium, Croatian fans unfurled a banner reading, "one heart, one strength, my country Croatia."

Both teams were unchanged from the lineups that won their semifinal games. France beat Belgium 1-0, and Croatia beat England 2-1 in extra time.

Croatia is playing its first World Cup final. France won its only World Cup title when it hosted the tournament in 1998.

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5:54 p.m.

The French and Croatian teams are on the field for their World Cup final.

The teams emerged from the dressing rooms to stand behind the World Cup trophy, with captains Hugo Lloris and Luka Modric in the lead.

Philipp Lahm, Germany's winning captain in 2014, earlier brought out the World Cup trophy with Russian model Natalia Vodianova. Lahm picked up the cup and held it for cheering crowds.

France is aiming to win its second World Cup and first since 1998. Croatia has never before gone past the semifinal stage.

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