Russia · World Cup archive

2018 World Cup Teams, Knockout Tree and Results

Staged across Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, the 21st FIFA World Cup featured the tournament debut of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and concluded with France winning their second world title by defeating Croatia 4–2 in a high-scoring final at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Didier Deschamps became only the third man to win the World Cup as both player and manager, guiding a formidable squad powered by Antoine Griezmann, N'Golo Kanté and 19-year-old prodigy Kylian Mbappé.

HostRussia
Dates14 June–15 July
ChampionFrance
Runner-upCroatia
Third placeBelgium
FinalFrance 4–2 Croatia
Tournament teams32
Matches64
Goals169
Top scorerHarry Kane · 6
Golden BallLuka Modrić

2018 World Cup tournament story

The 2018 World Cup delivered widespread shocks early on, as defending champions Germany were eliminated in the group stage. France navigated a thrilling 4–3 round-of-16 clash against Lionel Messi's Argentina before dispatching Uruguay and Belgium to reach the final. Croatia, marshalled by Golden Ball winner Luka Modrić, survived three consecutive extra-time and penalty marathons against Denmark, Russia and England to make their first-ever World Cup final. In Moscow, France's clinical counterattacking brilliance proved decisive, with goals from Mandžukić (own goal), Griezmann (penalty), Pogba and Mbappé sealing a 4–2 victory.

Why the 2018 World Cup still matters

Russia 2018 was widely praised for competitive drama, outstanding set-piece goals, and Kylian Mbappé's global coronation as the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pelé in 1958. It also highlighted Belgium's Golden Generation achieving third place and Croatia proving that small nations could reach the global summit through technical mastery and collective resilience.

All 32 participating nations

2018 World Cup teams by group

Which teams played in the 2018 World Cup? The field was divided into 8 groups of four. Teams below are ordered by their final group position, with the top two advancing.

Group A

  • UruguayQualified
  • RussiaQualified
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Egypt

Uruguay won all three matches without conceding, while hosts Russia thrilled crowds to advance in second.

Group B

  • SpainQualified
  • PortugalQualified
  • Iran
  • Morocco

Spain and Portugal advanced after a thrilling 3–3 encounter featuring Ronaldo's hat-trick in Sochi.

Group C

  • FranceQualified
  • DenmarkQualified
  • Peru
  • Australia

France secured top spot efficiently, joined in the knockout stages by a solid Denmark side.

Group D

  • CroatiaQualified
  • ArgentinaQualified
  • Nigeria
  • Iceland

Croatia swept nine points including a 3–0 rout of Argentina, with Messi's side scraping through in second.

Group E

  • BrazilQualified
  • SwitzerlandQualified
  • Serbia
  • Costa Rica

Brazil and Switzerland navigated a testing group to book their places in the round of 16.

Group F

  • SwedenQualified
  • MexicoQualified
  • South Korea
  • Germany

Reigning champions Germany suffered a shocking group-stage exit after losing 2–0 to South Korea in Kazan.

Group G

  • BelgiumQualified
  • EnglandQualified
  • Tunisia
  • Panama

Belgium won all three matches to top the section, with England advancing comfortably in second.

Group H

  • ColombiaQualified
  • JapanQualified
  • Senegal
  • Poland

Colombia topped the group, while Japan advanced over Senegal on the fair-play yellow card tiebreaker.

Champions, finalists and surprise runs

The teams that defined the 2018 World Cup

France: Deschamps's second star and Mbappé's coronation

France blended pragmatism with lethal counterattacking speed, supported by N'Golo Kanté's ball recovery and Griezmann's creative set pieces.

Kylian Mbappé scored four tournament goals, including a stunning brace against Argentina and a 25-yard strike in the Moscow final.

Explore the France 2018 World Cup squad →

Croatia: Modrić inspires a historic final run

With a population of just four million, Croatia displayed incredible mental fortitude, surviving three consecutive 120-minute knockout matches.

Luka Modrić's genius in midfield was rewarded with the tournament Golden Ball after carrying the Vatreni to their first final.

Explore Croatia World Cup teams →

Belgium: Golden Generation claims historic bronze

The Red Devils led all teams with 16 tournament goals, pulling off an iconic 3–2 comeback against Japan and knocking out Brazil 2–1 in Kazan.

Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne dominated offensive metrics as Belgium defeated England 2–0 to claim third place.

Explore Belgium World Cup teams →

England: Southgate's semifinal breakthrough

England captivated the nation with their set-piece mastery, winning a historic World Cup penalty shootout against Colombia.

Harry Kane claimed the Golden Boot with six goals as the Three Lions reached the semifinals for the first time since 1990.

Explore England World Cup teams →
From the groups to the final

How the 2018 World Cup unfolded

  1. Group Stage (32 teams)

    Saw reigning champions Germany eliminated in the group phase for the first time since 1938 after defeat to South Korea.

  2. Round of 16 & Quarterfinals

    Highlighted by France's thrilling 4–3 victory over Argentina in Kazan and Belgium's tactical 2–1 masterclass against Brazil.

  3. Semifinals & Third-Place Match

    France edged Belgium 1–0 via Samuel Umtiti's header, while Croatia beat England 2–1 in extra time. Belgium won bronze 2–0 over England.

  4. The Moscow Final

    France defeated Croatia 4–2 at the Luzhniki Stadium in the highest-scoring World Cup final in 52 years.

Golden Boot, Golden Ball and decisive performers

Key players from the 2018 World Cup

France

Kylian Mbappé

Named Best Young Player after scoring four goals, becoming the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final.

Croatia

Luka Modrić

Golden Ball winner whose composure, tireless running and passing dictated Croatia's fairy-tale run to the final.

Belgium

Eden Hazard

Silver Ball recipient who led the tournament in completed dribbles and drove Belgium to their best World Cup finish.

France

Antoine Griezmann

Bronze Ball winner who contributed four goals and two assists, directing France's set pieces and tactical structure.

England

Harry Kane

Golden Boot winner with six tournament goals, captaining England to their best World Cup campaign in 28 years.

Selected historic line-ups in the game data

2018 World Cup teams in the 7a0 archive

The tournament had 32 participants. The current 7a0 data set contains 21 selected squads, each with real player names, shirt numbers, positions, ratings and legend markers.

  • Poland
  • Argentina
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Croatia
  • Egypt
  • England
  • Spain
  • France
  • South Korea
  • Morocco
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Colombia
  • Japan
  • Uruguay
  • Germany
  • Senegal
  • Peru

The list above describes current game coverage, not the complete tournament field shown in the group section.

Published squad guides

2018 World Cup squads in 7a0

🇫🇷 France 2018 Champion

Didier Deschamps's second-star champions featuring Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba.

View players, ratings and squad analysis → 🇭🇷 Croatia 2018 Runner-up

Zlatko Dalić's historic finalists powered by Golden Ball winner Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić.

View players, ratings and squad analysis → 🇧🇪 Belgium 2018 Third place

The bronze-winning Golden Generation starring Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

View players, ratings and squad analysis → 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England 2018 Fourth place

Gareth Southgate's young squad led by Golden Boot winner Harry Kane reaching the semifinals.

View players, ratings and squad analysis →

What made the 2018 tournament distinctive?

The edition remains part of World Cup history for several connected reasons:

  • The official implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in World Cup matches
  • Kylian Mbappé matching Pelé's record as a teenage World Cup final goalscorer
  • Didier Deschamps joining Zagallo and Beckenbauer as player-manager champions
  • Croatia becoming the second-smallest nation by population to reach a World Cup final

2018 World Cup FAQ

Who won the 2018 World Cup?

France won the 2018 World Cup, defeating Croatia 4–2 in the final on 15 July 2018 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup?

Harry Kane of England won the Golden Boot with six goals across the tournament.

Who won the Golden Ball at the 2018 World Cup?

Luka Modrić of Croatia won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2018 World Cup.

Who won the Best Young Player award at the 2018 World Cup?

Kylian Mbappé of France won the FIFA Best Young Player award after scoring four goals as a 19-year-old.

How many 2018 World Cup squads are available in 7a0?

The 7a0 archive contains 21 tournament squads from 2018, including champions France, finalists Croatia, Belgium and England.

Who was the manager of the 2018 World Cup champions France?

Didier Deschamps managed France to the 2018 title, having previously captained France to their first title in 1998.

What historic milestone did Kylian Mbappé achieve in the 2018 final?

Kylian Mbappé became the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pelé in 1958.

Which nation finished third at the 2018 World Cup?

Belgium finished third at Russia 2018, defeating England 2–0 in the playoff to claim their highest World Cup finish in history.

Can I draft Kylian Mbappé and Luka Modrić together in 7a0?

Yes, 7a0 allows you to combine Kylian Mbappé and Luka Modrić into a 2018 dream lineup for tournament simulations.

What technology made its debut at the 2018 World Cup?

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system made its official FIFA World Cup debut at Russia 2018.

Sources and editorial review

Editorial review: 7a0.online

Last reviewed: 2026-07-26

Tournament facts are checked against the cited records. Game ratings, position eligibility and tactical descriptions remain independent 7a0 editorial values.

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