FIFA World Cup gets set for pair of blockbuster semi-finals

A month after the expanded, 48-team tournament kicked off, the World Cup is down to the semi-final stage with France and Spain preparing to face off on Tuesday before holders Argentina renew their bitter rivalry with England the following day.

The South Americans and their talisman Lionel Messi were the last team to clinch a spot in the final four when they overcame 10-man Switzerland in extra time late Saturday in Kansas City.

A stunning strike by Julian Alvarez and a Lautaro Martinez goal right at the death settled that quarter-final in Argentina’s favour after Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye had responded to Alexis Mac Allister’s opener to force extra time.

Argentina are bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962, and now head to Atlanta to play an England side led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.

Aiming to win a first major trophy since 1966, England had Bellingham to thank on Saturday as his two goals secured a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in Miami.

“The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance… we were very lucky today,” admitted England coach Thomas Tuchel.

It is just the fourth time England have reached a World Cup semi-final, after 1966, 1990 and 2018. They have lost their last two, while Argentina have won on each of their six previous semi-final appearances.

Wednesday’s clash comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico.

Argentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona — one the infamous “Hand of God”, and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the greatest ever World Cup goals.

For Maradona’s heir, Messi, it will be his 206th international appearance, but his first ever against England.

The match will also take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.

“The message is this is a football game. That’s what I can say,” insisted Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

“It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that’s all.”

The winners of that game will advance to the July 19 final at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York City, where they will face France or Spain.

 Yamal v Mbappe

For the first time at a World Cup, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart.

Spain, Argentina, France and England were effectively seeded to all avoid each other before the semis, provided they topped their groups.

That is exactly what has happened, with France and Spain facing off in Arlington, just outside Dallas, on Tuesday in a repeat of their meeting in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Spain triumphed 2-1 then before going on to lift the trophy, with Lamine Yamal scoring an exceptional goal days prior to his 17th birthday.

This time, the World Cup clash will be played a day after he turns 19, and a large part of Spain’s hopes lie with him.

However, the Barcelona starlet came into the tournament carrying an injury, and has not had the desired impact so far, scoring only once in six games.

“I think Lamine needs to calm the anxiety he sometimes has because he wants to show how important a player he is for us,” Spain captain Rodri said Sunday.

“He is a very intelligent kid but it is true that he is only 19 at the end of the day.”

France’s talisman Kylian Mbappe has had an extraordinary impact, scoring eight goals, including one in the quarter-final win over Morocco.

Mbappe is tied with Messi in the race for the golden boot, and one behind the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.

Spain’s conservative ex-prime minister Mariano Rajoy faced criticism Sunday after saying the France team had “no French players”.

The comment, published in an opinion piece in Spanish online news site El Debate, was condemned by Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as “xenophobic”.

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told French channel BFMTV that Rajoy’s comment was “absolutely unacceptable”.