Croatia delivered its best performance at a FIFA World Cup, getting to the final where it lost 4-2 to France at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday.

"According to the latest police reports, the national team was welcomed by 550,000 people from the airport to this stage," the welcome ceremony hosts announced from the podium as reported by the Croatian broadcaster Radiotelevision.

According to the media, the last time a crowd of this size gathered in Zagreb was in 1994 when Pope John Paul II visited the Croatian capital.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who attended the final match in Moscow, is later expected to present awards to the players at her residence.

Russia's first-ever FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and came to a close on Sunday with 64 games played at 12 venues in 11 cities.