France thoroughly deserved to win, Brazil thoroughly deserved to lose and it is as simple as that. France were their outstanding, organised selves while Brazil played like sleepwalkers. For reasons best known to themselves, the Brazilians did not come out before the game for the routine warmup and in the match itself they looked like a team that kept waiting for the kick-off whistle.

In the afternoon before the game, rumours abounded about Ronaldo's lack of match fitness, rumours which were confirmed when the first team list showed Ronaldo on the substitutes' bench with Edmundo on the team. It may or may not be true that a decision to play Ronaldo was made only after a stormy team meeting 45 minutes before the game but what is certain is that the Inter Milan striker, rather than looking the number one in the world, looked a tired or injured player. Probably, he was both.

If the rumours are true, this was hardly the ideal way to prepare for a match but, even with a fully-fit Ronaldo, last night's Brazil would have struggled. Their best players, Rivaldo, Leonardo, Denilson and co, simply did not perform on the night while a number of Brazilians, including captain Dunga, looked tired.

This was a Brazil strangely without shape, without fire and incapable of raising their performance in any influential way in the second half.

We all knew long before yesterday that this Brazilian defence was dodgy but, so far, whenever the Brazilians have conceded goals, they have always been able to bounce back and score more goals than their opponents. Against the French last night, however, this was simply not possible.

If Brazil got it all wrong, that should take no credit from the French who, throughout this tournament, have been willing to come out and play against all opponents. I've said it before and it is worth repeating, the obvious strengths of this French side lie in their back four and in their midfield while we had best pass a veil over their attack. Rarely can a side with such poor strikers have won a major tournament.

Last night, the French dominated the game but, unlike in their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Italy and Croatia, this time they found the back of the net in the first half. Brazil's marking for the two corner kicks was sloppy to say the least but Zinedine Zidane's goals were not only opportunistic, they also came at psychologically important moments. In the end, France were hardly flattered by the final 3-0 scoreline since strikers Stephane Guivarc'h and Christophe Dugarry between them missed at least four `sitters'.

At 2-0 up at half-time, France looked home and dry barring a miracle recovery by Brazil. France had conceded only two goals on the way to this final and they never looked likely to concede three to this Brazil.

If you want to hand out the plaudits, then inevitably you have to start with Zidane. His contribution was huge, even apart from the all decisive two goals. His positional sense, his footwork, his timing are all impeccable. I have picked out players like Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly (probably a bit unlucky in his sendingoff) and Emmanuel Petit before but last night they lived up to their own highest standards.

Thuram, in particular, would be a candidate for the best player of the whole tournament while Petit's goal was merely the icing on the cake of a splendid overall contribution.

As always, nearly every member of the winning side is worthy of special mention. I've criticised Didier Deschamps before but, last night, you could hardly complain about him. Frank Leboeuf came into the team in what might have been overwhelming circumstances but he too settled quickly and made very few, if any, mistakes. In the end, a splendid World Cup has closed with home side France as winners. Only the meanest of the mean could begrudge the French a win that I consider thoroughly deserved.

(In an interview with Paddy Agnew)