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France are into the final of the 2018 World Cup after beating Belgium 1-0 in St Petersburg.
It was a closely contested affair between the two European sides but one in which Didier Deschamps’ men came out on top, as the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba impressed throughout the match.
Samuel Umtiti’s second-half header ultimately secured victory for the French, who now have the chance to make amends for their European Championship final defeat by Portugal two years ago.
So how did the two teams fare? See the gallery below for our player ratings:
Show all 22 1 /22World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Hugo Lloris - 7 Assertive when off his line. Got the majority of his decisions right and notably impressed with a diving save to deny Alderweireld in the first half. Not overly tested in the second half.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Benjamin Pavard - 7 Should have found the back of the net after being put through on goal by Mbappe in the first half. Pushed forward on numerous occasions throughout the match but remained defensively assured. His excellent tournament continues.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Raphael Varane - 7 France couldn’t have asked more from him. Kept Lukaku quiet and a real presence at the heart of his side’s defence. Made few mistakes and led by example from the back.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Samuel Umtiti - 7 Should have done better in dealing with a dangerous ball from the right moments before the break; almost handed Lukaku a goal-scoring opportunity as a result. Headed home the all-important winner. Defensively solid for most of the game.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Lucas Hernandez - 6 Unafraid to push on from the back. Happy picking up play from deep and surging forward. Positioning on point.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings N'golo Kante - 7 His reading of the game was as impressive as ever as he set about disrupting Belgium’s midfield. Typically effective in breaking up play and intercepting passes. Often found himself kick-starting France’s rapid-fire counter-attacks.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Paul Pogba - 8 Showed some slick feet-work when surging forward and was consistent as ever with his forward passes. Disciplined in tracking and dealing with Fellaini too. More than happy to fulfil his defensive duties. A well-rounded performance in all. What a tournament it's been for him.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Kylian Mbappe - 8 Made his presence immediately felt after the first whistle with a surging sprint down the right before delivering a dangerous ball into the ball. Was utterly fantastic all night long with his pace, trickery and vision. Provided Giroud with a number of goal-scoring opportunities and used his speed to mount repeated French breaks. Well on his way to becoming football’s next big thing.
AP
World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Antoine Griezmann - 7 His link-up play was superb. Kept running all game long as he set about harassing Belgium’s defence and making those all-important runs in the channels. Missed a few chances outside the box, mind.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Blaise Matuidi - 7 Let loose with a stinging first-half chance that made Courtois think but never properly tested the French keeper. A nuisance in midfield with his relentless energy and press. Never stopped working.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Olivier Giroud - 6 Got down low in the box to threaten with a header that came close to putting France ahead. Not good enough, though, when meeting a sublime squared cross from Mbappe 10 minutes before the break. Lacked the final product in and around Belgium’s box.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Thibaut Courtois - 6 Could he maybe have saved Umtiti’s header? Asides from that he wasn’t overly tested in between the sticks. Faced just two shots on target.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Toby Alderweireld - 7 Did well under pressure to get a shot off on goal from inside France’s box during the first half but was denied by Lloris. Like his teammates, struggled with Mbappe’s pace.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Vincent Kompany - 6 Did well in keeping Giroud under wraps as he repeatedly threw his body on the line to muscle the Frenchman off the ball or block his shots. Composed at the back throughout the game.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Jan Vertonghen - 6 Excellent distribution from out the back, picking out Belgium’s high-pressing wide men throughout the match. Had his hands full with Mbappe and certainly found himself exposed on more than one occasion.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Axel Witsel - 6 Fired off a superb, stinging strike late on in the game that Lloris did well to push clear. Some of his balls forward from deep were particularly impressive.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Nacer Chadli - 6 Pushed on down the flank throughout the match but failed to provide his teammates with any real service.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Moussa Dembele - 6 Conceded a few sloppy fouls here and there, often in dangerous positions. But put in a vitally important goal-denying block on Giroud to stop the Frenchman from scoring after he’d been threaded through by Mbappe.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Marouane Fellaini - 6 Came agonisingly close in the second half after beating Pogba in the air to nod the ball millimetres wide of Lloris’ left-hand side post. Should have asserted himself more against Umtiti for the Frenchman’s goal.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Kevin De Bruyne - 6 Not his best performance. Created a number of chances in the first half but was somewhat subdued during the second 45 minutes. Even guilty of misplacing a pass here and there.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Romelu Lukaku - 6 Failed to find the target with what should have been a clear-cut header after the restart. After proving so effective against Brazil, this was a quieter display from the forward.
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World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Eden Hazard - 7 A menacing presence with his mazy runs down the left and through the centre of the pitch. Pulled an early chance wide of the French goal. Started brightly as one of Belgium’s best players but not as effective in the second half.
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