Good afternoon, and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the World Cup Final! Yes, the day is here - France face Croatia as the greatest show on earth draws to a close.

Brozovic and Rakitic combine to burst through the centre but no final ball transpires. Things are all square and looking fascinatingly poised.

Mbappe is being kept very quiet so far this afternoon - and he's muted once again as the assistant referee lifts his flag against him.

GOAL! Modric takes the free kick, getting it in towards the back stick, and after four headers bouncing across the face of goal, Perisic just smashes it home from the edge of the box, assisted by a tiny deflection.

Kante brings down Perisic - and gets the first yellow card of the final. It's another Croatia free kick, about 30 or so yards out, and central.

Griezmann spread it out to Pavard on the right, but he can't then link up with Mbappe, and Croatia break.

France are starting to assert themselves a little bit more in the middle of the park now, and beginning to level things up in terms of possession, revitalised by that goal. Brozovic muscles in to break things up.

It's punched away by Lloris, not as decisive as one might wish. There's all sorts of pushing and bodychecking going on in the box, and everybody thinks they deserve a free kick. Eventually Lloris gets the chance to get it away with a goal kick.

Pavard brings Rebic down on the left - it's a foul but also a dramatic landing. Croatia fans pump up the volume again ready for this free kick on the left, again to be taken by Modric.

Giroud thinks he's on the break, but the referee is again quick with the whistle - nobody seems quite sure why.

CLOSE! Modric is fouled on the right, and swings in the free kick himself towards the head of Vida. The ball bounces off his skull and over the bar.

GOAL! Griezmann gets the ball swung in, and it takes a brush off the head of someone in there - maybe Mandzukic?

Free kick to France as Griezmann is upended by Brozovic in the centre of the park - contact is minimal but the referee is decisive.

The first glimpse of Mbappe as he takes possession in the Croatia box but his attempted cut-back is a messy one. France need to get him on the ball more.

An incident off the ball as Ante Rebic goes to ground after a collision with Theo Hernandez. Not much in it, as the replay shows. As an aside: remember when they used VAR at this tournament? It seems to have been abandoned for the knockouts.

Another big chance for Croatia. Perisic is causing havoc so far and again he gets away from Benjamin Pavard at right-back. He rolls a low pass into the4 box but can't find Mandzukic.

France fans have been muted in these early exchanges but have just upped the volume, urging on their team.

France have seen no joy in the final third so far. Griezmann has barely featured and Kylian Mbappe hasn't had a chance to engage that top gear of his.