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People Have Noticed That Mario Mandzukic's Own Goal Shouldn't Have Counted

People Have Noticed That Mario Mandzukic's Own Goal Shouldn't Have Counted

The Croatian became the first player to score an own goal at the World Cup when he inadvertently put France 1-0 up.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Mario Mandzukic became the unlucky recipient of one of the most unwanted stats in football when he became the first person to score and own goal in a World Cup final but maybe it shouldn't have counted.

Whilst the rest of the world had a chuckle last Wednesday when England went out of the World Cup to Croatia in the semi-finals it was the English was got to rise a wry smile on Sunday.

Mario Mandzukic's extra time winner was the goal that put Croatia through to the World Cup final but, despite later scoring in the right goal, it was his header that set France on their way to their second World Cup win.

The match was just 18 minutes old, and 18 minutes in which the 1998 third placed team had dominated, when Antoine Griezmann won a free kick not far outside the Croatia area.

The French forward floated a ball in towards Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane but as it evaded the Real Madrid defender it was actually the Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic who nodded it past his own keeper.

However some eagle eyed people noticed that there was actually a second ball on the pitch so the game should have been stopped or not allowed to restart until it was removed:

Of course the incident was missed and Pogba, despite being in an offside position when the ball was played in, wasn't really interfering with the move at all so the goal counted.

It didn't really matter too much with Croatia actually equalising through Ivan Perisic not too long after but it was the controversy around France's second goal that may have changed the tie.

Perisic was adjudged by VAR to have handled inside the area following a corner though many felt it an unfair decision:

Paul Pogba scored in the 59th minute and Kylian Mbappe seemed to have put the game to bed in the 65th minute. Hugo Lloris' huge mistake four minutes later allowed Mandzukic to make amends, score in the right end and give Croatia hope.

Ultimately it was France who ended the victors and Mandzukic who became a trivia question.

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Topics: Football News, Croatia, World Cup news, World Cup, France