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How to watch the World Cup final on Sunday

France play Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup  - 2018 FIFA
France play Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup - 2018 FIFA

What is it?

Only the biggest game in football...the final of the 2018 World Cup.

This year's showpiece sees 1998 winners France take on World Cup final debutants Croatia with a place in history at stake for the victors.

When is it?

Sunday July 15 at 4pm.

What TV channel is it on?

For the first and last time in this tournament viewers will be able to choose which channel they watch the action on, with BBC and ITV both broadcasting the game live. 

ITV begin their build up to the game from 2:55pm while the BBC's coverage will start five minutes later at 3pm. 

There were fireworks in the ITV studio on Wednesday evening as pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright dissected England's semi-final defeat to Croatia. 

The pair ended up in an on-air row that would not have looked out of place on the Jeremy Kyle show as Keane accused Wright of getting too carried away with England's World Cup fairytale. 

How can I live stream the match?

Gary Lineker  - Credit: BBC 
Gary Lineker has received plaudits for his World Cup coverage as part of the BBC team Credit: BBC

If you are in the UK but without access to a television, you can watch the whole of the World Cup final player on desktop, mobile or a tablet.

All you need to do is make sure you have an ITV Hub account or BBC iPlayer log in and are signed in your relevant device. 

Will there be a highlights show?

Kylian Mbappe - Credit: AFP 
Kylian Mbappe has been a one-man highlights reel at this year's World Cup Credit: AFP

BBC One will be showing 30 minutes of highlights of the game from 10:30pm. Alternatively you can watch a full replay of the final in its entirety from midnight on Sunday until 1:45am.

ITV have decided not to provide a World Cup final highlights programme, preferring instead to focus its attention on the closing stages of Love Island. 

What have TV ratings been like? 

Record breaking.

A peak audience of 26.6 million people tuned in to watch England crash out of the World Cup to Croatia, making it the most watched TV event since the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. 

There is still some way to go to match the 32 million people who watched the 1966 World Cup final, however. 

How have both teams fared in previous World Cup finals?

While this will be France's third appearance in the last 20 years, Croatia are making their debut in a World Cup final. 

Croatia became only the second team in history to play three consecutive extra-time World Cup games, taking 120 minutes to beat England on Wednesday evening. 

France have trailed for just nine minutes and 12 seconds at the 2018 World Cup, while Croatia have been behind in all three of their knockout matches.

Didier Deschamps  - Credit: Reuters
Didier Deschamps could become one of the few men to win the World Cup as a player and a manager Credit: Reuters

Kylian Mbappé will be looking to become only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Pelé, in 1958.

Mbappé's tally of three goals already makes him the highest scoring teenager in a World Cup tournament since Pelé scored 6 in 1958.  

Les Bleus head coach Didier Deschamps is looking to become only the third person to win the World Cup as a player and as manager after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.