The French and Croatian players will know that they are on the brink of history heading into tomorrow’s World Cup final. But they must not think like that.

That is the key to playing a final. You cannot think about the history going into it. Only about the game itself. About your job, and the small details on the pitch, that will decide the game. How will it be different to play against a back four or a back three? Do you press just at the half-way line, or a little bit further up? Just those technical details, about what is going to be best to give your side the edge.

I remember going into the 2010 World Cup final with Holland against Spain, we would only stay focused on the technical details. Of course it was very hard, because Spain were such a good team. When you analysed them, they just had so many weapons. They were so good on the ball, their positional game was so fantastic. They were by far the best team in the world. So how do you punish a team like that? Can we press them? And where?

World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 World 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. Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. EPA 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. AP 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. AP 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. AP 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. REUTERS 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. EPA 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. AP 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. AFP/Getty Images 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. Getty Images 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. EPA 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. AFP/Getty Images

Going into that final, we were not playing the best, but we were mentally in very good shape. We were really a team, very compact, very focused. And we could have won that final. If Arjen Robben had scored than one-on-one against Iker Casillas. Or if we had taken another half-chance that fell to Wesley Sneijder. If you focus on the details, you might have a chance.

Eight years on, Didier Deschamps and Zlatko Dalic must know this. They must know that they cannot put too much into the heads of their players before Sunday evening. So that the players do not get distracted, thinking about the context, and the history, and all that.

Because afterwards, win or lose, there will more than enough time for all the players to reflect. ‘Oh s***, this was my moment to make history, for myself, my country and my family.’ I remember after I missed those two penalties in the semi-final of Euro 2000 against Italy. For three weeks afterwards, when I was alone with myself in my car, I would shout at myself. “F****** hell, how could you miss those two penalties?” It was painful, of course. But all that reflection can come after. For now, just keep their minds on the details.

(Getty Images (Getty Images)

And I have been very impressed by both France and Croatia over this World Cup, they clearly both deserve to be here in the final. Croatia are so mentally strong, to have come through extra-time three times and kept going.

But I think France are by far the favourites. I think the solidity of this France team, which we saw especially against Uruguay and Belgium, will make the difference on Sunday. They are solid, and they have weapons all the way through the team. Hugo Lloris has been in great shape all tournament. The two centre-backs have been fantastic, especially Raphael Varane. Obviously Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe look very good too.

But I want to talk about N’Golo Kante in the France midfield. I think he has been unbelievable so far in this World Cup. And I think he can secure the win for France on Sunday.

N'Golo Kante has made a quietly impressive start in Russia (AP)

As we saw on Wednesday night, the most important part of the Croatia team is the midfield. In the last hour of the England game, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic took control in midfield, as helped out by Marcelo Brozovic just behind them. I think Brozovic complimented Modric and Rakitic perfectly, was strong defensively and made good choices in possession too. Playing Brozovic as a defensive midfielder, instead of Andrej Kramaric as a number 10, was a great decision, allowing Modric and Rakitic to player further forward, where they could damage England.

But I think France can stop them in midfield. Why? Because Kante can stop everybody.

Kante works so hard, he always wins the ball, and so if Croatia have to be careful of him tomorrow. Remember that they went 1-0 down against England, they had a bad reaction after that, and that they had to come out and play in the second half.

But if Kante and Paul Pogba can stop them, with their physicality, then it will be very difficult for Croatia. I have been impressed with Pogba too so far this World Cup. In the last game he showed again the quality that we know him for at Juventus. I know that he has not had the best season with Manchester United, but here for France he has been playing for the team. That is a very good thing for him, he clearly understands that he has to do his best for the team. His level is growing.

N'Golo Kante will be pivotal to France's hopes of nullifying Croatia's midfield threat (EPA)

And while there has been some criticism of Deschamps in the past, I think this team has learned from the experience of losing the final of Euro 2016 to Portugal two years ago. They have taken energy and experience from that. And they have taken on some new players, like Mbappe, who were not there two years ago.