The World Cup has trimmed 48 teams down to four, and what a way to get here. The quarterfinals served up late drama, a stunning goal or two, and the end of more than one dream, and now the semifinals are set: France vs Spain on Tuesday, England vs Argentina on Wednesday, both kicking off at 7pm Ghana time.
France were the first through, seeing off Morocco 2-0 in Boston in a rematch of their 2022 semifinal. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele did the damage, and just like four years ago, it was the French who ended African hopes, Morocco having flown the continent’s flag all the way to the last eight once again.
Spain made it a European double on that side of the bracket, edging Belgium 2-1 to keep their cool run going. Having already knocked out Portugal earlier in the knockouts, sending Cristiano Ronaldo home for the last time on this stage, La Roja look every bit like a team that believes its moment has come.
The bottom half of the draw was pure theatre. England needed extra time to get past Erling Haaland’s Norway, winning 2-1 to finally silence the tournament’s biggest surprise package. The Norwegians had stunned Brazil in the round of 16, but the Three Lions held their nerve when it mattered.
And then came Argentina. The defending champions looked in trouble when Switzerland cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister’s early opener and dragged the game to extra time. Enter Julian Alvarez, who unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box in the 112th minute, one of the goals of the tournament, before Lautaro Martinez put the tie to bed late on for a 3-1 win. Lionel Messi’s dream of a back-to-back World Cup is still alive.
Spare a thought for the hosts: the United States, Canada and Mexico are all out, an unusual sight at a home tournament. The stage now belongs to the traditional giants.
Four teams, one trophy, and a final on Sunday 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Buckle up, the business end is here.
