What Made the 2018 FIFA World Cup Memorable

The 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia from June 14 to July 15, was one of the most unpredictable tournaments in recent memory. Defending champion Germany was knocked out in the group stage — their earliest exit since 1938. Argentina barely scraped through, and traditional powerhouses Spain fell apart early after managerial drama derailed their campaign.

Meanwhile, new stars emerged. Kylian Mbappé, just 19 years old, became the tournament's defining player, driving France to the title with pace, composure, and a 70-yard goal against Argentina that won the Puskas Award. Croatia — a nation of just four million people — reached the final for the first time ever, defeating Russia, Denmark, and England along the way before losing 4-2 to France in a thrilling showpiece.

The tournament also marked the debut of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) at a World Cup, reshaping how goals and penalties were decided. While controversial, it reduced clear errors and created several memorable moments of drama as decisions were reviewed on pitchside monitors. Here is a quick reference for the final standings:

• Champion: France (beat Croatia 4-2 in the final)
• Runner-up: Croatia
• Third place: Belgium (beat England 2-0)
• Fourth place: England
• Golden Boot: Harry Kane, England — 6 goals
• Golden Ball (best player): Luka Modrić, Croatia
• Golden Glove (best goalkeeper): Thibaut Courtois, Belgium
• Best Young Player: Kylian Mbappé, France

How to Watch 2018 World Cup Highlights Free on YouTube

YouTube is the easiest and fastest way to access 2018 World Cup content for free. The official FIFA channel has published match highlights, top-goal compilations, and behind-the-scenes footage — most of it still publicly available years after the tournament.

Steps to find 2018 World Cup content on YouTube

1. Go to youtube.com/@FIFA — the official FIFA YouTube channel.
2. Click the Search icon on the channel page, or use the main YouTube search bar with the channel filter active.
3. Try these search terms for the best results:
   • 2018 FIFA World Cup highlights
   • France Croatia final 2018 full match
   • 2018 World Cup all goals
   • Germany 2018 World Cup group stage
   • Mbappé 2018 World Cup
4. Browse the Playlists tab on the FIFA channel — look for the Russia 2018 playlist which groups match highlights chronologically.
5. Filter results by Upload date: Older to surface content from 2018 rather than more recent World Cup cycles.

The BBC Sport and ITV Sport YouTube channels also published extended match highlights with UK broadcast commentary. Search BBC World Cup 2018 highlights for their archive. Note that availability varies by region — some clips may be geo-blocked in your country due to broadcast rights agreements.

How to Watch Full 2018 World Cup Matches on FIFA+

FIFA+ is the official streaming platform run by the sport's governing body and the single best source for complete match replays. All 64 matches from Russia 2018 are available in full — not just highlights — and the service is free to use after a simple registration.

Steps to access FIFA+ and find the 2018 World Cup archive

1. Open your browser and go to plus.fifa.com.
2. Click Sign Up in the top right corner and create a free account using your email address. No credit card is required for the free tier.
3. Confirm your email address via the verification link FIFA+ sends you.
4. Once logged in, click the Tournaments menu in the top navigation bar.
5. Select FIFA World Cup, then choose Russia 2018 from the tournament list.
6. Browse the full fixture list. Each match entry shows the score, scorers, and a Watch button for the full replay.
7. Use the Filter by Team option on the left sidebar to jump straight to all matches played by France, Croatia, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, or any other side in the tournament.

Practical tip: FIFA+ is ad-supported at the free tier. Expect short ad breaks every 20-30 minutes, similar to free streaming on Peacock or Pluto TV. The platform also offers tactical replays with data overlays for selected matches, showing heat maps, pass networks, and key stats — worth checking if you want more than raw footage.

Other Streaming Platforms with 2018 World Cup Content

Beyond YouTube and FIFA+, several other platforms carry 2018 World Cup archives depending on your country of access:

United States

• ESPN+ — Fox Sports broadcast the 2018 World Cup in the US. Some archive matches and World Cup documentaries are available on ESPN+ within their soccer library. After logging in, search for World Cup 2018 in the sports section.
• Peacock — NBC Sports content occasionally includes archive soccer tournaments. Check the Sports category and search for FIFA or World Cup in the on-demand library.
• Sling TV / FuboTV — These live TV streaming services include Fox Sports and FS1 channels, which carry on-demand World Cup replays for subscribers.

United Kingdom

• BBC iPlayer — The BBC co-broadcast the 2018 World Cup. Their streaming platform retains selected matches and documentary content in the Sports archive section.
• ITVX — ITV co-broadcast the tournament alongside the BBC. Their streaming platform carries selected match replays in the sport archive.

Rest of the world

Check your national public broadcaster's streaming platform. European, Latin American, and Asian broadcasters often retain streaming rights for several years after a tournament. Search for the name of your broadcaster plus World Cup 2018 rewatch or replay archive to find what is available in your region.

Top 5 Matches to Rewatch from the 2018 World Cup

If you only have time for a handful of games, these five are the most dramatic and memorable from Russia 2018 — each is available in full on FIFA+:

1. France vs Croatia — Final, July 15, 2018 (4-2)
   A chaotic, brilliant showpiece featuring an own goal, a controversial VAR handball penalty, a goalkeeper error, and Mbappé's thunderous long-range strike. The definitive match of the tournament and a must-watch for anyone who missed it.
2. Belgium vs Japan — Round of 16, July 2, 2018 (3-2)
   Japan led 2-0 with just over 20 minutes remaining and looked set for one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Belgium scored three times, the last a lightning counter-attack goal in the 94th minute. Considered one of the greatest World Cup comeback victories of the modern era.
3. France vs Argentina — Round of 16, June 30, 2018 (4-3)
   A breathless, end-to-end game that ended Lionel Messi's 2018 World Cup campaign. Mbappé scored twice and set up another, becoming only the second teenager to score twice in a World Cup match after Pelé. Benjamin Pavard's equalizer also won the FIFA Puskas Award for goal of the year.
4. South Korea vs Germany — Group Stage, June 27, 2018 (2-0)
   South Korea, already mathematically eliminated, produced one of the tournament's greatest upsets, beating the defending champions 2-0 in injury time. Two goals after the 90th minute sent Germany home and Mexico through to the round of 16. The footage of the German bench's reaction is unforgettable.
5. Croatia vs Russia — Quarter-final, July 7, 2018 (1-1, Croatia wins on penalties)
   Croatia's goalkeeper Danijel Subašić saved three Russian penalties in the shootout — despite suffering a hamstring injury during regular time that left him barely able to dive. A gripping test of endurance and nerves that sent Croatia to the semi-finals for just the second time in their history.

How to Use a VPN to Unlock Geo-Blocked 2018 World Cup Content

Some match replays and highlight compilations are geo-restricted. A video freely available in France or the UK may be blocked in the United States or Australia due to regional broadcast licensing. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) lets you change your apparent location to access that content.

Steps to use a VPN for streaming World Cup archives

1. Choose a reputable VPN service. Well-regarded options include Mullvad, ProtonVPN, and ExpressVPN. Both Mullvad and ProtonVPN offer free tiers with limited server options, which is sufficient for occasional streaming.
2. Download and install the VPN app on your device — available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and as browser extensions on Chrome and Firefox.
3. Select a server in the country where the content is available. To access BBC iPlayer content, connect to a UK server. For French broadcaster archives, connect to a French server.
4. Once connected, open your browser and navigate to the streaming platform normally. Your traffic now appears to originate from the selected country.
5. If the platform asks you to create an account or sign in, you may need a local email address. A Proton Mail address works in most regions without requiring location verification.

Important note: Using a VPN to access geo-restricted content may violate the terms of service of specific streaming platforms. This information is provided for educational purposes. Additionally, free VPN servers can be slow — sustained HD video streaming typically requires a paid plan with higher bandwidth allowances.

2018 World Cup Group Stage and Knockout Results

Here is a concise reference for all group stage outcomes and the knockout bracket, useful for deciding which matches to hunt down before rewatching:

Group stage winners and runners-up

• Group A: Uruguay 1st, Russia 2nd — host nation surprised many by finishing second
• Group B: Spain 1st, Portugal 2nd — both Iberian heavyweights advanced after a dramatic opening draw
• Group C: France 1st, Denmark 2nd — Australia and Peru were eliminated
• Group D: Croatia 1st, Argentina 2nd — Nigeria and Iceland eliminated; Argentina's group stage was shaky
• Group E: Brazil 1st, Switzerland 2nd — Costa Rica and Serbia did not advance
• Group F: Sweden 1st, Mexico 2nd — Germany and South Korea both eliminated in a dramatic final matchday
• Group G: Belgium 1st, England 2nd — Panama and Tunisia eliminated; Belgium and England rested players in their final group match
• Group H: Colombia 1st, Japan 2nd — Poland and Senegal eliminated; Japan advanced on fair-play points over Senegal

Knockout rounds at a glance

• Round of 16: June 30 – July 3, 2018
• Quarter-finals: July 6–7, 2018
• Semi-finals: July 10–11, 2018 (France beat Belgium 1-0; Croatia beat England 2-1 after extra time)
• Third-place match: July 14, 2018 — Belgium beat England 2-0
• Final: July 15, 2018 — France beat Croatia 4-2

Every one of these fixtures — from the group opener between Russia and Saudi Arabia (Russia won 5-0) to the final — is available to watch in full on FIFA+. The platform lets you search by date, team, or stage, making it straightforward to trace any country's complete campaign from start to finish.