France forward Antoine Griezmann says winning today's World Cup final against Croatia is more important than the manner in which his team play
Antoine Griezmann
France forward Antoine Griezmann said winning the World Cup against Croatia on Sunday was more important than how his team do it. Belgium's players criticised the tactics France used in their 1-0 semi-final win as Didier Deschamps' team sat deep and Samuel Umtiti's headed goal came from a corner, but Griezmann dismissed the criticism.
"I don't care. I want the star (on my shirt for World Cup winners). If I get that star, I just don't care about how we play," the Atletico Madrid forward told a press conference at France's training base.
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Griezmann said he had changed the way he plays for France in order to benefit the team. He finished top scorer at Euro 2016 with six goals but France lost the final to Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on home soil.
Team man Griezmann
He has scored three goals in Russia, two from penalties and one largely thanks to a goalkeeping howler from Uruguay's Fernando Muslera, but he has also contributed two assists. "I was top scorer but we lost, so I said to myself: 'I am going to score less to see if we can win'.
"My game is changing, now I am more likely to dictate the rhythm or hold onto the ball. "If I score, then that's great, but I am more a player who thinks of the team than of scoring." After a slow start in Russia, France have picked up form. Their blend of experienced campaigners like Griezmann and Paul Pogba, and young stars like Kylian Mbappe and Benjamin Pavard, ensures they are the bookmakers' favourites.
Deschamps has a reputation in France for being lucky, but if he leads his country to World Cup glory on Sunday he will become just the third man in history to lift the trophy as player and coach.
History for Deschamps?
Luck, then, is far from the only asset of the man who will lead his country into the final against Croatia, just as he captained the winning France side on home soil in 1998. "I am probably often in the right place at the right time, I can't complain. There are bound to be others who are better than me, and some who are worse as well," said Deschamps, who is depicted in cartoons in the French press with an enormous blue cat, an animal associated with luck.
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