ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kylian Mbappé and France are not far behind in this year’s tournament. world cup. Spain are also without teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino.
Only one of these teams can advance to the finals.
France and Spain are both playing in their 17th World Cup, but they have only met once before on soccer’s biggest stage. They will play the first of two powerhouse semifinal games Tuesday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
France, who entered the tournament as one of the top FIFA teams, outscored their opponents 14-2. Mbappe, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, is the top scorer this time with eight goals, tying Lionel Messi, and one goal shy of the Argentina captain’s total of 21 World Cup goals.
27 years old Mbappe has 20 goals In 20 games (one of them) at the World Cup 2018 Winner He joined Pele as the only teenagers to score in a World Cup final, winning against Croatia. And Les Bleus’ star striker, who was sent off after scoring in the 77th minute in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco, said he felt fine.
Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has already played in two semi-final matches against Spain and France. His goal came just days shy of his 17th birthday. 2-1 victory at the 2024 European Championship Spain also won last year’s Nations League in the semi-finals.
“In my opinion, if France has to fear anyone, it’s us,” Yamal said after Spain’s quarterfinal victory over Belgium. “We were the ones who beat them before.”
The teenager had 10 shots on target but only one goal after coming into the World Cup with a left hamstring problem, forcing him to miss the final week of the season with Spanish club Barcelona.
Spain have outscored their opponents 10-1 since their impressive goalless draw with a surprising Cape Verde in their group stage opener, but La Roja are still alive and well as Merino, who came on as a substitute in each of the past two games, scored the decisive goal late on. Goaltender all the while Unai Simon They set a World Cup record for 650 minutes without conceding a goal until Belgium found the back of the net in the 41st minute of the quarter-final.
Merino scored in the 88th minute. 2-1 victory over Belgium on friday. This came after the Arsenal forward scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to give Arsenal a 1-0 win against Portugal in the Round of 16, at the same stadium where Spain’s semi-finals will be held.
Quartet of past champions
This is the first World Cup since 1990, The final four teams are former champions..
Messi and defending champion Argentina, who defeated France to win the title four years ago, will face England in the other semi-final match in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The championship match will be held Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the river from New York City. The third place match will be held on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Both sides have lifted the World Cup trophy since they last met.
France defeated Spain 3-1 in the round of 16 in Germany in 2006, their only previous World Cup match.
Both teams have won World Cups since then, with Spain winning its only title in 2010. In 2018, France won their second World Cup.
France, who play on Bastille Day, are aiming to join five-time champions Brazil and four-time champions Germany as the only teams to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. Brazil did it in 1994, 1998 and 2002, winning two titles but losing to hosts France along the way. Germany’s victory in 1990 came after finishing runners-up in the previous two World Cups, both times when they were playing as West Germany.
Argentina defeats France In 2022, they played in a 3-3 tie and then won on penalties.
This is France’s seventh appearance in the semi-finals and fifth time in the past eight World Cups. Spain only reached the semi-finals in 1950 and then in 2010 when they were chasing the title.
Closing in Dallas
AT&T Stadium in North Texas will host a tournament-high Game 9 in this year’s expanded 48-team tournament.
There were some football superstar moments during the month in the building, which has hosted the Super Bowl and the NCAA championship games for football and men’s basketball.
Messi scored three goals in Argentina’s two group games, the first of which came on June 22 after he missed a penalty. Breaking the World Cup total points record The first of two goals in the 2-0 win against Austria. He added another goal as a late substitute in the final group match against Jordan on June 27.
Cristiano Ronaldothe 41-year-old superstar from Portugal ended his sixth and final World Cup appearance in a 1-0 loss to Spain on July 6.
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