And so there were four. As it happens, the four still standing at this World Cup are the same quartet who sit atop FIFA’s international food chain. A semi-final line-up for the ages. Aren’t we lucky?Perhaps this was the inevitable outcome when the draw was seeded in a way that made it impossible for the top-rated nations to meet one another before this stage. But let’s not dig into politics. Not now anyway. Two tantalising ties are the upshot, starting with France vs Spain on Tuesday.
France are vying to become the third team to reach three successive World Cup finals, after Germany and Brazil, while European champions Spain prepare for just their second ever appearance in the last four. By official ranking, it’s first vs third.
But this European powerhouse affair is a particularly familiar one. Much like England-Argentina, it’s a fixture with a charmed history. Enough to captivate most football-loving neutrals because, well, it also contains a high percentage of the world’s best technicians and torturers. This cast are primetime viewing.
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The question the world has been asking since before this tournament commenced 33 days ago concerns how France might be toppled. How do you deny a freewheeling front four spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe and supported by Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue? Most don’t.
But Spain have special license. One that allows them to control and coerce unlike any other. Their style starves opposition teams, able to boast an average possession share that remains unmatched at this tournament.
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2026-07-13 17:30:00
