Soccer: 2018 World Cup final score,France 4- Croatia 2 recap: France beats Croatia as Pogba, Mbappe, Griezmann shine - by Roger Gonzales

The French national team was crowned world champions after defeating an underdog Croatian team 4-2 in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday, capturing its second World Cup title and its first since it hosted the 1998 tournament 20 years ago. Les Bleus manager Didier Deschamps was the captain in 1998 when his team shocked Brazil in Paris, and on Sunday he became the third to ever win the World Cup as a player and coach.

In a match that featured anything you could have ever imagined, an own goal, a goalkeeper gaffe, pitch invaders and a teenager wunderkind finding the back of the net, France rolled to a convincing 4-1 lead and managed to hold on to earn its second star.

Read more: 2018 World Cup final score, recap: France beats Croatia as Pogba, Mbappe, Griezmann shine - CBSSports.com

World Cup 2018: President Trump applauds Russia's 'fantastic job' - by Alex Edelman and David Jackson

President Trump lauded Russia again Wednesday, this time saying the country is doing "a fantastic job with the World Cup right now."

Trump, who answered questions as he met with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal in the Oval Office, called the biggest international sporting event ''exciting. My son loves soccer and he loves watching the World Cup and they have really done a fantastic job. It's exciting even if you are not a soccer fan."

Trump earlier took credit for helping the United Bid — among the U.S., Mexico and Canada — succeed in winning the right to host the World Cup in 2026.

"I'm rooting for everybody to do well," Trump said Wednesday. "The venue is fantastic. I fought very hard to get it in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. We are very honored to be chosen."

Now, people are speculating whether he will join Vladimir Putin at the World Cup final, set for July 15 in Moscow.

They announced their first summit earlier in the day and Trump said they would meet ''in the not-too-distant future."

Read more: World Cup 2018: President Trump applauds Russia's 'fantastic job'

Soccer Powerhouse Italy Copes With The 'Indelible Stain' Of Missing The World Cup - by Colin Dwyer

This is the way World Cup hopes end — not with a bang, but with a whimper.

With their tournament dreams on the line against Sweden on Monday night, the Italian men's national team — the four-time World Cup champion Italian men's national team — simply could not get the win they needed. They didn't even demonstrate the knack for tragedy that might have made for a dramatic defeat, à la the U.S. men.

Instead, Italians watched their opportunity to play in the 2018 World Cup wither slowly as the scoreboard stayed empty, drifting to a scoreless tie with the Swedes in Milan. With the 0-0 draw, Sweden booked their own ticket to Russia to play in one of the world's most watched events.

Not since 1958 has the World Cup lacked an Italian team.

Luckily, though, it appears Italians are taking it in stride: "Italy, this is the apocalypse," declared the Italian sports publication La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Read more: Powerhouse Italy Copes With The 'Indelible Stain' Of Missing The World Cup : The Two-Way : NPR

World Cup Soccer: Anti-FIFA mood deepens in Brazil as World Cup starts

 Yes to the World Cup, no to FIFA - that sums up the frosty relationship between Brazil and football’s world governing body. But it hasn’t dampened most Brazilians’ enthusiasm for the mega event.

Read more: Anti-FIFA mood deepens in Brazil as World Cup starts | Americas | DW.DE | 12.06.2014

Soccer World Cup - Brazil invests heavily in World Cup security

Brazil will employ 170,000 security personnel and spend close to 1.9 billion reais ($798 million) to try and ensure a trouble free World Cup tournament, organisers said on Thursday.

A total of 150,000 armed services and public policing forces personnel will be diverted to the month-long event that kicks off on June 12, plus a further 20,000 trained private security officers hired to bolster security.

But Brazilian government officials acknowledged they were still concerned about the possibility of violence marring the tournament, following last year's unexpected demonstrations at the Confederations Cup.

More than a million people took to the streets during the warm-up event for the World Cup to protest against poor public services, corruption and the high cost of the stadiums.

"We have a lot of concerns, not as much about protests which are a democratic right, but rather at potential violence.

We are committed to preventing violence during any protest activity," Andrei Rodrigues, the secretary for special events at the Brazilian justice ministry, told a FIFA media conference on World Cup security.

Read more: Soccer-Brazil invests heavily in World Cup security

Soccer: Double Dutch beats Turkey 2-0

Goals from Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder secured their triumph and ended any hope Turkey had of making the play-offs.

Robben opened the scoring after eight minutes with a free-kick that beat everyone and caught out Volkan Demirel in the Turkey goal.

Despite plenty of home pressure, Turkey could not find the back of the net and Sneijder punished them with a second early in the second half to seal the points for a Netherlands side who will head to Brazil for next year's World Cup high in confidence after an undefeated qualification campaign.

Louis van Gaal made five changes to the side that convincingly beat Hungary on Friday with Leroy Fer, Jordy Clasie and Sneijder making up a brand new midfield.

There were two changes for Turkey as Gokhan Tore and Caner Erkin were replaced by Hasan Kaldirim and Olcan Adin.
With Turkey needing to win to give them second place in the group, their night got off to the worst possible start as the visitors took the lead in eight minute of the match.
Robben whipped in a free-kick from the right that evaded all the Netherlands players in the penalty area and left Demirel unable to reach it with his dive.

Read more: Double Dutch beats Turkey - World News - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate Football Website

USA Today: Kissinger works to bring World Cup to USA when he's 99 - by Kelly Whiteside

For the complete report from USATODAY.com click on this link

Kissinger works to bring World Cup to USA when he's 99 - by Kelly Whiteside

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger joined U.S. Soccer's bid committee Monday to help bring the 2018 or 2022 World Cup to the USA. The sport's governing body, FIFA, will decide the hosts for both World Cups in December 2010. "I don't think we have a huge chance in 2018, I think it will probably go to Europe," Kissinger said. Since South Africa will host the tournament next year and Brazil in 2014, Kissinger believes Europe won't let three World Cups go by without securing a bid. "We will certainly contest for it. ... I think bidding for 2018 will give a great chance for 2022. I'll be 99 years old. So it's sort of an obligation to stay around." Kissinger, has attended every World Cup since 1974 except the 2002 tournament.