Spain defeated France 2-1 in the Geopolitics World Cup semi-final, advancing to the final in New York. France, who had been the tournament's entertainers, exit with their worst World Cup finish since 2014.
France's Performance and Criticism
France manager Didier Deschamps, dealing with a personal loss, opted to 'take the handbrake off' in the semi-final. Despite moments of brilliance—Michael Olise's through ball for Mbappé against Senegal, Ousmane Dembélé's cutting in against Norway—the French fell short. L'Équipe gave twos to Olise, Dembélé, and Lucas Digne, and a three to Mbappé for their semi-final display.
Kylian 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. Our goal was to press them high up the pitch to prevent them from settling into that slow, controlled rhythm, because when it comes to controlling the game they are better than us. We failed to do that … When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It's a huge disappointment.'
Spain's Controlled Display
Spain, led by Rodri, put on a suffocating display of control. Despite little difference in possession, Spain's discipline and rhythm proved decisive. They will now face the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final in the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Closing Ceremony Announced
FIFA announced performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and YouTuber IShowSpeed for the closing ceremony. Tom Cruise is also expected to appear, possibly skydiving onto the pitch. The ceremony, separate from the half-time show, is described as 'a landmark celebration at the intersection of sport, music and global impact.'
Argentina's Scaloni Calls for Calm
Before the England-Argentina semi-final, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni urged calm: '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, and there isn't much we can do about it. Mixing the two would be madness. We criticise that there was war. It is a game of football, we need to keep things separate. Yes, we remember Argentinian people and people that were lost in the war, but let's not conflate things. What do the players of today have to do with many, many years ago?'
However, Argentina's vice-president Victoria Villarruel took a different tone: 'Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn't just another match. I'm not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it's always something more. It's the Malvinas, it's Diego, it's Leo's last one, and it's putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we're going to claim what's ours!'
