Hugo Lloris become the 21st captain to lift the elusive World Cup title as he captained France to their second world title against Croatia at the Luznikhi Stadium in Moscow on Sunday.
After a month of Russian football extravaganza, the Les Bleus beat Croatian 4-2 in the final and both teams inspired a generation of football fans with their displays. However, Didier Deschamps and his conservative tactics came out on top as the French team was the most complete unit throughout the tournament.
French displays at Russia 2018 were a masterclass in how a team rebuilds after a catastrophic defeat at home in the final of the Euro 2016 and goes through the gears and retains its compact nature in tournament football at the highest level.
It takes a manager of some repute and class along with a dedicated group of players who are committed to the task ahead. The French managed the competition better than any other team and were so confident and composed the team never played a game that went beyond the initial 90 minutes.
#3 Didier Deschamps
The midfielder was a strong defensive player with a keen eye for a pass and sound technical ability with great work rate. Deschamps lead by example and will go down in French football history as one of its greatest servants.
#2 Franz Beckenbauer
2 years later it was the self-hosted World Cup tournament in 1974 which saw Beckenbauer become the first captain to lead a nation to the titles of both champions of Europe as well as the world; only a feat mimicked twice since; France in 2000 and Spain in 2010.
#1 Mario Zagallo
The Brazilian’s fingerprints on four FIFA World Cup trophies speak for themselves. A true icon of the Brazilian game, he won two of them as a player in Sweden 58 and Chile 62, one as national manager in 1970 and another as an assistant manager in 1994. Before Deschamps joined the club, only German legend Franz Beckenbauer in the history of world football can match Zagallo’s feat of having been crowned world champion as both a player and a coach.