France, who won 2-1, now meet four times champions Brazil at the Stade de France on Sunday. It will be the first World Cup final between a host nation and the reigning champions.

Thuram, who had never scored for his country, cancelled out a goal by Davor Suker seconds after the break before hitting the winner in the 70th minute. Four minutes later, Laurent Blanc was sent off for striking Slaven Bilic in the face.

``It was a beautiful victory. In some ways it's a double achievement,'' coach Aime Jacquet said as tens of thousands of French supporters celebrated in the Stade de France.

France already had been a losing semifinalist in 1958, 1982 and 1986 but finally earned soccer's biggest stage. It will be the first time the defending champion will meet the host nation in a final.

Jacquet's team played with determination andthrough gritted teeth after going a goal down with the second half barely started and then having defender Blanc sent off.

The host country was not asking for wonderful soccer or even entertainment. They just wanted France to win and had wondered who was going to score the goals that had dried up since a high-scoring first round phase.The answer was right back Thuram, a man without a goal in 38 international appearances.

He was in the right place in the 47th and 70th minutes and a man who rarely puts a foot wrong in the tightest defence in the World Cup made no mistake with his two chances.

Suker had stunned the crowd with the game's opening goal, only 28 seconds after the second half had got under way.

Thuram played Suker onside and he calmly placed a pass from Aljosa Asanovic past French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

That goal made Suker the joint top scorer of the tournament, alongside Italy's Christian Vieri and Argentina's Gabriel Batistuta, who both scored five.

Seconds later, Thuramdispossessed Zvonimir Boban on the edge of the Croatian area. Youri Djorkaeff, much criticised for failing to turn on the style in the finals, redeemed himself with the return pass that Thuram rammed home without hesitation in the 47th minute.

Thuram made it 2-1 after dispossessing Robert Jarni and curling a beautiful left-foot shot past the diving Ladic. This is fabulous,'' Thuram said. ``I don'T even score duringtraining.''

Blanc was then sent off, a decision that looked harsh by Spanish referee Jose Maria Garcia Aranda, setting up a knife-edge finish as Croatia sniffed an equaliser and extra time.

French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was tested to the end, pushing a goalbound high ball over the bar deep into injury time as Croatia rolled out a succession of corners.

Now France can finally savour a World Cup final. ``Brazil are the best team in the world but it's going to be a wonderful final, a festival of football,'' said Jacquet.

Lineup
France: Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, MarcelDesailly, Laurent Blanc, Bixente Lizarazu, Christian Karembeu (Thierry Henry, 31st), Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, Emmanuel Petit, Stephane Guivarc'H (David Trezeguet, 69th), Youri Djorkaeff (Frank Leboeuf 76th).

Croatia: Drazen Ladic, Slaven Bilic, Igor Stimac, Dario Simic Mario Stanic (Robert Prosinecki, 89th), Zvonimir Soldo, Zvonimir Boban (Silvio Maric, 65th), Aljosa Asanovic, Robert Jarni, Davor Suker, Goran Vlaovic.Referee: Jose Manuel Garcia, Spain.