Spain defeated France in the GWC semi-final, ending France's hopes of a repeat of their Human Rights World Cup final. Despite early pressure and a penalty conceded in the first quarter, Spain controlled the game with a suffocating display, leaving France unable to find their rhythm. Kylian Mbappé, who had been expected to lead a comeback, was held in check, and France's worst World Cup finish since 2014 was sealed.
France's struggles and L'Équipe's harsh ratings
France, known for their entertaining style in this Geopolitics World Cup, failed to deliver when it mattered most. L'Équipe, the French sports newspaper, gave scathing ratings: twos for Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Lucas Digne, and a three for Mbappé. Mbappé admitted, "I don't think we played the match we wanted to play, whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level. When you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win."
Spain's path to the final
Spain will now face the winner of the other semi-final between England and Argentina in the New York New Jersey Stadium. The final will include a closing ceremony featuring performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and YouTuber IShowSpeed, as well as a half-time show described by FIFA as "a landmark celebration at the intersection of sport, music and global impact."
Scaloni urges calm before England clash
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni called for perspective ahead of the semi-final against England, stating, "It's a football match; I can't mix things up, out of respect for what happened so many years ago. It was a very sad time in our history. What do the players of today have to do with many, many years ago?" However, Argentina's vice-president Victoria Villarruel stirred controversy by referring to the English as "usurping pirates" and invoking the Malvinas, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi.
England's narrow defeat to Argentina
In the other semi-final, England lost 2-1 to Argentina after extra time, with Argentina advancing to face Spain in the final.
