After a month of unpredictability came a champion that perhaps we could have predicted.
After four weeks of World Cup action that distracted us from the ills of the world and put a smile on people's face, it is all over.
And as the wonder of the present gets confined to history, it is time to wonder which storylines and moments will go down in history as defining this World Cup.
Miguel Delaney runs down those he expects to stand the test of time....
The World Cup of surprises ending with the predictability of a French win
Croatia becoming the smallest country since Uruguay 1930 to qualify for a final
It didn’t come home… but it came closer than for a long time, and felt better
Germany amazingly going out in the first round… and becoming the third successive defending champions to do so
Kylian Mbappe taking the stage by taking off
Real Madrid scuttling Spain by appointing their manager
Neymar theatrically damaging his reputation rather than embellishing it
Argentina’s hugely entertaining chaos
After so much debate, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo going out on the same last-16 day
The entertainment of Belgium
England winning a penalty shoot-out, after Colombia lost their temper
Russia’s running, and their surprisingly good run
Messi’s initial struggles, before that goal
The qualified success of VAR
The reductio ad absurdum of Spain’s passing against Russia
Toni Kroos with the most meaningless match-winning wonder goal ever
Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Spain
The politically-edged celebrations of Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri
Mexico blazing through briefly
Mohamed Salah’s problems with Egypt
Korea’s onside goal against Germany
Japan knocking Senegal out on yellow cards
Iceland and “the hand of cod”
Belgium and England playing for second place… and then later on third place
Peru being so successful in winning admirers but not games
Teamsheet-gate
Jose Gimenez’s tears
Saudi Arabia being atrocious
Panama being worse
Add your own storylines in the comment section.
