THEY WON THE World Cup 2018: FRANCE

Beware the team that starts slowly. The team that grinds out the only goalless draw of the tournament. The team with a ridiculous faker of injuries - HERNANDEZ v Australia was disgraceful. Beware the team with a point to prove, having been beaten in the Euro 2016 final at home. Beware the team with a good keeper, strong defence, talented midfield and creative strikers. Beware the team with the player who is ready to relieve Messi and Ronaldo of their duties as world’s best player. Mbappe could help this team to future success, certainly in Euro 2020.

THEY FINISHED 2ND: CROATIA

Three lots of extra time simply had to take their toll. And yet Croatia kept going, only in the last ten minutes did they look a beaten team. This generation took their nation further than before, further than the legends of 98, Davor Suker anyone? A nation of just 4 million the second best in the world. A remarkable achievement. And a team that plays attractive, attacking football. But ultimately it was only good enough for silver, but what a journey, the peak performance against Argentina, the comeback against England, the coolness the double penalty shoot out victory. Maybe one last hurrah for this set of players will come at Euro 2020.

THE World Cup FINAL 2018: FRANCE 4-2 CROATIA

So rare that the final is a goal fest. So rare it is punctuated by a multiple pitch invasion. So rare that VAR almost spoils it. So predictable that France won.

The Armchair extends muted congratulations to France as they win their second World Cup, 20 years after their first was secured on home soil. Next time the World Cup is held in a year ending in an 8, be sure to bet on them.

Much talk is of Mbappe, of whom big things are predicted and expected. He has already won a World Cup, that’s a pretty big thing in the bag already. But Mandzukic managed to score at both ends, a World Cup Final first. In fact, there had never been an own goal at this stage before.

Lloris was lucky when his arrogance allowed Mandzukic his goal in the right end. But Griezmann blotted his copy book with blatant fakery that led to the free kick that led to the dubious VAR penalty for handball, that pretty much led to Croatia losing this.

The Armchair didn’t hang around to see France lift the trophy. He wanted Croatia to upset the odds, but it never looked likely.

WHO WILL WIN THE World Cup FINAL 2018?

Alack, the Armchair was unable to post his prediction in the run-up to the final, but can honestly say he would have gone for a 2-0 win to FRANCE.

THEY FINISHED 3RD: BELGIUM

Has another golden generation missed the boat? The Armchair thinks so. A star studded line up came short against France in the semi, but proved they were easily the 2nd best team in the competition, despite finishing 3rd. Class all over the park, putting England in the shade on a steamy St Petersburg Saturday. What if they have let England win that group decider? It would have been a France v Belgium final. But it’s all ifs and buts, and maybe the Belgians will have to wait a generation to get a team as good as this on the field at the same time.

THEY FINISHED 4TH: ENGLAND

The Armchair cannot hide his surprise, nay, delight, that England reached as far as this. It was not on the cards, tarot or otherwise. And yet the opposition we faced made England’s path easy. Losing to Belgium in the final group game, meant Colombia and Sweden were the only teams standing between them and a semi. Belgium had to topple Brazil and did. England would not have. Kane was sharp for the group games, gone for the Knockout, a massive dip in form, many put down to an injury the England camp denied. So what was it? Knackered for the knockouts? Something similar happened in Euro 2016. Needs investigating. Trippier arguably England’s best, although Pickford deserves a mention and has just got one.

World Cup THIRD PLACE MATCH: Belgium 2-0 England

Strange that this tie still exists and that FIFA just doesn’t give all the losing semi-finalists a bronze medal. But both sides gave the match the respect they wanted, fielding pretty much full-strength teams. But again, Belgium proved they have the class that England lacks. Not a great game on a steaming Saturday afternoon, and the players will be glad to get home after more than a month away.

World Cup Semi-Final: ENGLAND 1-2 CROATIA (AET)

It’s wrong to say England underestimated Croatia. The Armchair did not and was proved right. Kieran Trippier scored too early with a splendid free kick, joining Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker as the only Englishmen to score in a World Cup Quarter Final. Croatia, the older team, were meant to tire. But it was England who ran out of a gas, the second half equaliser well deserved, the extra time winner a switch off moment from John Stones. And that was it. But The Armchair can’t help feeling that England dodged a bullet. For France would surely have put them to the guillotine had they made the final.

World Cup Semi-Final: FRANCE 1-0 BELGIUM

Would have made a better final that the one we are going to get. Probably the tournament’s best two teams lined up here, and disappointed. Belgium looked tired and totally incapable of breaking down the French defence once they slipped behind. The Armchair’s predicted winners of the tournament are out…

Who Will Win The World Cup 2018 Semi Finals?

The final four are known to the world, and perhaps two are a surprise to the world. But you don't get this far in a tournament without knocking in a few goals and helping knockout a few teams.

Here's how The Armchair envisaged this stage of the proceedings would look when he entered his predictions before the tournament started:

And here's how the actual semi-final line-up looks like:

FRANCE v BELGIUM
ENGLAND v CROATIA

So, in a topsy turvy tournament in which many a big team has fallen by the wayside early doors, the Armchair was 50% correct. Not bad.

But given this new line up, how does the Armchair see these ties shaping up?

OUCH! Yes, that is the sound of The Armchair plucking splinters from its undercarriage as he rests upon the fence. He believes both ties will be close and heading into extra time. He is sticking with BELGIUM to make the final, and thinks CROATIA will make it three out of three successful penalty shoot outs. But what a great Third Place Match that will leave us with!

THEY FINISHED 5TH: RUSSIA

What a start. 5-0 against anyone in your home World Cup campaign is going to get people excited, dreaming big. And that’s what Russia did. Rated as close to hopeless by many before the tournament started, they proved so much to so many and were so close to going one better.

But this will be regarded as a successful performance by the Russian teams. No big names, for sure, but big hearts all over the park, and big support from the stands. The Armchair salutes the home side and looking at his predictions before the tournament can say with confidence ‘I told you so.’

World Cup Quarter Final: Russia 2-2 Croatia (Croatia win on pens)

And so the hosts bow out, but much later than many imagined (not The Armchair by the way who predicted they’d get to the Quarter Finals but no further). But they so nearly did, an arrogant penalty miss and a dragged one past the post costing the nation an unprecedented semi-final place. What joy would there have been. As it was, a late equaliser sent the home fans into raptures, but for the second time, Croatia prevailed in a penalty shoot out, setting up a semi final against the new masters of the shoot out, England. 

THEY FINISHED 6TH: SWEDEN

Winning their group in somewhat fortuitous circumstances (the rest of the teams just flopped) helped Sweden secure an eminently winnable Round go 16 tie against Switzerland, whom they dispatched. But England proved stiffer opposition, and a nation that gels well as a team but lacks the quality in every department, finally went home from a competition having, like a boring fart who parks themselves in the comfiest armchair at a house party - perhaps overstayed their welcome.

World Cup Quarter Final: England 2-0 Sweden

Never has The Armchair felt so relaxed about a vital England game as this one. Yes, Sweden had a couple of great chances and Pickford pulled off some quality saves, but for a QF team, Sweden had precious little to recommend them. Get Zlat Back! England seemed in control and not overly concerned. Maguire was majestic. But Sterling still stuffed up his chances in front of goal. Kane had a quiet game but who cares, it’s like 1990 all over again. England are in the World Cup semi-finals. Unbelievably, but not undeservedly.

THEY FINISHED 7TH: BRAZIL

The Armchair doesn't want to sound arrogant, but he has great difficulty in understanding those who thought Brazil would win this World Cup. Even reaching the final should not have been entertained.

The same with Germany and Argentina. They might be big names from the history of the World Cup, but none of them had shown any kind of form coming into the competition, and all were player for player weaker than at least three other big teams, Spain, France and Belgium.

Neymar did OK but is an habitual faker, and in this tournament all that fakery has caught up with them. Penalties they might have falsely earned in the past have been wiped out by VAR. The culture of diving and faking needs to change if these nations are ever to enjoy success on the world stage again.

Brazil seemed to learn that lesson in the second half against Belgium, where chasing the game meant they couldn't afford to waste time on the fakery. But Belgium outclassed them and gave them a taste of their own medicine, winding down the clock and winding up the Brazilians with a little dose of fakery.

What goes round...

World Cup Quarter Final: Brazil 1-2 Belgium

And so another former winner falls. All that remains are European teams, evidence that the continent is now the dominant force in world football, and has been since 2002, the last time a non-Euro team won the World Cup (Brazil).

Belgium's tactical switch proved a Martine Masterstroke. Not good enough to manage Everton apparently, the man has plotted Brazil's downfall, admittedly with a set of players far superior than anything seen playing in blue at Goodison Park.

Two up by half time, the second was a siege as the yellows poured forward. But Belgium poured scorn on their attempts most of the time, succumbing to header near the end. But they held on and deserved their win. Courtois pulled off save after save and their attached trio of De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku were immense.

The Armchair's predicted winners are still in it. And, as he predicted, they've seen off Brazil. 

THEY FINISHED 8TH: URUGUAY

With a population half that of London's, it's incredible how many good footballers Uruguay produces per head. Unfortunately one of their best ones was forced to sit out this tie, and it proved crucial as they lacked any sort of offensive threat without him and were simply guided out of the tournament by a superior French team.

Never a team to score a goal fest, they base their success on solid defence and inspired attack. But Suarez hasn't had a brilliant World Cup. And Cavani looked like he was moving into gear before his injury scuppered his nation's hopes.

World Cup Quarter Final: France 2-0 Uruguay

Oh, Cavani, where were thee? Your nation needed ye, and there you were injured.

A shadow of the team they were without you, never looked likely to score, and now homeward bound, while France dance on into the final (you need to bring more fans to the next game, though).

The Armchair predicted that France would reach the World Cup Semis and so it has proved. They never looked under threat today, though the Uruguayan keeper will not sleep well tonight, playing over and over the mistake that helped ensure his nation's hopes slipped through his fingers.

Another former winner of the World Cup gone, leaving just France and two others, Brazil and England. And the Armchair predicts we will lose another in tonight's game...

World Cup 2018 Quarter Final predictions

And so to the last eight.

A last eight that The Armchair predicted would look like this:

In what's been a World Cup full of shock early exits and over-performing 'minnows' here's how the Quarter Finals actually look:

FRANCE v URUGUAY
BRAZIL v BELGIUM
SWEDEN v ENGLAND
RUSSIA v CROATIA

So a 50% success rate there, with one tie exactly right. Note too, The Armchair correctly predicted that Argentina would fall and Russia would rise to the occasion. Spain lost on penalties, Peru underpeformed, Germany were shocking, and Senegal denied a path to the knockouts by the dubious yellow cards rule.

The Armchair's tip for title remain in the running, but BELGIUM face their biggest test, BRAZIL tonight. Pass that and the bet is definitely on.

Here's how The Armchair sees the World Cup 2018 Quarter Finals shaping up:

With Belgium beating Brazil on penalties...

THEY FINISHED 9TH: COLOMBIA

Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. Colombia are as close to the bad boys of the tournament as you’re likely to get. A disgrace against England and few will miss them. They certainly missed Rodriquez in the last game, his presence could have tipped the scales in their favour. But the scales of justice were lenient. They deserved red cards for their appalling behaviour v England, But what goes around is circular, like a football, the one Dier slotted past their despairing keeper. Bye bye. And learn how to behave next time.