FIFA World Cup 2018 final: Usain Bolt, Sourav Ganguly in Moscow

Celebrities from the world of sports and politics were present at the 2018 FIFA World Cup final between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

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FIFA World Cup 2018 final: Usain Bolt, Sourav Ganguly in Moscow
Usain Bolt, Sourav Ganguly and Conor McGregor were in the stands to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup final (Reuters Photo)

In Short

  • Bolt, Ganguly, Lahm, McGregor and Thuram were present in Moscow for the final
  • Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic were also present at the Luzhniki Stadium
  • Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi performed at the closing ceremony

A galaxy of stars descended upon the Luzhniki Stadium for the final showdown between France and Croatia in Moscow on Sunday.

As France bid for their second World Cup title and Croatia their first, celebrities from the world of sports and politics gathered to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

The likes of Usain Bolt, Sourav Ganguly and Conor McGregor, Lilian Thuram and Philipp Lahm were among the ones, who were seen in the stands for the blockbuster clash. Lahm and Ronaldinho were also part of the closing ceremony in Moscow. While Lahm carried the trophy to the ground, the Brazilian was seen performing during the opening ceremony.

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President of France Emmanuel Macron, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic were all smiles and exchanging handshakes before kick-off.

Conor McGregor had showed his support for France on Instagram (Reuters Photo)
Philipp Lahm and Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova during the presentation of the World Cup trophy (Reuters Photo)
From left to right: Emmanuel Macron, Gianni Infantino, Vladimir Putin and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic before the match (Reuters Photo)

They were treated to a colourful closing ceremony headlined by Hollywood star Will Smith, who performed along with Nicky Jam and Kosovian artist Era Istrefi.

The artists performed the tournament's official song, "Live it Up" in front of a jam-packed stadium.

As Smith performed at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, giant screens laid out on the pitch showed images of soccer players and the colours of the Croatian and French flags - the two teams who face each other in the final.

In the final sequence of the ceremony, Russian opera singer Aida Garifullina performed Russian folk song "Kalinka" accompanied by bagpipes, a children's choir, and a percussion section.

That section featured a guest performer: Ronaldinho, who for a few bars of the song hammered out the rhythm on an African drum.

Will Smith, Nicky Jam, and Era Istrefi perform during the closing ceremony (Reuters Photo)
Ronaldinho and performing during the closing ceremony before the match (Reuters Photo)

The tournament kicked-off on June 14 with the opening ceremony where English pop singer Robbie Williams and Russian soprano Aida Garifullina had performed.

France are eyeing their second title while this is the first World Cup final for Croatia, whose previous best finish was third in 1998.

Croatia, who came out with scathing replies after defeating England in the semi-final, might look for a 1998 revenge on Sunday.

In the semi-final of 1998 World Cup, Croatia's golden generation were up against France and two second half strikes by right-back Liliam Thuram propelled France to the final, one that they went on to win.

This time, however, Zlatko Dalic-coached Croatia have a squad capable of going all the way. Just like the Davor Suker-captained batch of 1998, this Croatian side, has a similar never-say-die attitude, coupled with talent from the best clubs all over Europe.

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However, France have, at least on paper, a squad loaded with talent and more depth. In Didier Deschamps, they have a coach who has previous experience of winning the World Cup as a player.

Deschamps, who captained the 1998 French side, has a chance to achieve the rare distinction of becoming only the third man, in history -- after Brazil's Mario Zagallo and German legend Franz Beckenbauer -- to win the World Cup both as a player and a head coach.

(With inputs from agenices)