Soccer fans across Canada will be glued to their screens this morning as Croatia takes on France in the World Cup final in Moscow.

ItB次元官网网址檚 the first ever final for the Croatians, while France is there for the third time and goes into the match as the betting favourite.

Canada, of course, did not have a team in this yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament B次元官网网址� or in any World Cup other than 1986, when it finished in last place and did not score a goal.

But soccer-mad Canadians have been following along with every goal, save and embellished foul of the tournament, and both finalists have their share of fans here.

The biggest concentration of diehard fans of the French side is likely in Montreal, where Statistics Canada estimates roughly 57,000 people who were born in France live.

For Croatia, itB次元官网网址檚 the Toronto area, which as many as 10,000 people whose first language is Croatian call home.

WATCH: Croatian fans rejoice over semi-final win

The Croatian Parish Park in Mississauga today is set to be packed with Croatian-Canadian fans, according to Ivan Kulis, who works for the Toronto Croatia Academy.

B次元官网网址淐roatia isnB次元官网网址檛 a big country, but everyone follows the World Cup. Millions of people are going to watch the final all around the world,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淪o for a small country like Croatia to be in the finals, itB次元官网网址檚 something very big in history.B次元官网网址�

Although Croatia came third in the 1998 tournament B次元官网网址� just seven years after the country declared independence from Yugoslavia B次元官网网址� this is B次元官网网址渙ne step bigger,B次元官网网址� Kulis said.

Mississauga has a proud, tight-knit Croatian-Canadian community, said Erica Zlomislic, who works with the Croatian Heritage Association.

B次元官网网址淚 watch these games and I get teary-eyed,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e under a foreign occupier, it toughens you. These guys are patriots.B次元官网网址�

She said what makes this yearB次元官网网址檚 team great is their leadership, faith and hard work along with their coach, Zlatko Dalic, whoB次元官网网址檚 expertise has taken them a long way.

ItB次元官网网址檚 by coincidence that today is the annual Croatian pilgrimage to the MartyrB次元官网网址檚 Shrine in Midland, Ont., about a two-hour drive north of Toronto. Zlomislic, 47, said she will be going to that before watching the game.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l just go and pray for the team,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淓ven if they get a silver, I donB次元官网网址檛 think people will be disappointed.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 good promotion for the country and the community, because we donB次元官网网址檛 have to explain who we are anymore.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Press

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