Spain reach World Cup semi-finals, France up next on Tuesday

Spain reach the World Cup semi-finals

Your team is two wins from a World Cup. Spain beat Belgium in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four clash with France on Tuesday (1) (5). The semi-final lineup is absurdly stacked: Spain, Argentina, England and France, the top four in both Elo and FIFA rankings (1). England knocked out Norway on Saturday to complete the set (16).

The unbeaten run is now 36

Spain have not lost in 36 matches, stretching back years. Only Italy's record of 37 stands ahead. Win the World Cup and that record belongs to your team too.

France await, Dembélé flying under the radar

The semi-final is Tuesday against France. Ousmane Dembélé has emerged as a key threat, though few outside France seem to be talking about him (3). Mbappé trained Saturday after an ankle scare and looks fine, but two other French players missed the session (9) (13).

Rajoy lights a fire before Tuesday

Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy made offensive remarks about the French national team ahead of the semi-final, calling them a team "without Frenchmen" (15). Not helpful. The kind of comment that finds its way onto a dressing room wall.

Spain U19 are European champions

Hugo López and Mario Rivas scored as Spain U19 beat Germany 2–0 in the final, winning the European Championship with a perfect record (2) (6) (7) (8) (10) (12). Paco Gallardo's side did not drop a single game all tournament.

Merino, Fabián, Rodri: the spine that drives this team

Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz and Rodri form the foreign-based core that has powered Spain through this World Cup (14). Merino, you will remember, scored the winner in added time against Portugal in the Round of 16.

Fan reactions

Fans are buzzing about the semi-final lineup: Spain, Argentina, England and France, the four best teams in the world by both Elo and FIFA rankings. The unbeaten run of 36 has supporters eyeing Italy's all-time record. Over on the reddit thread, there is also chatter about Ferran Torres drinking mate during the tournament, which some fans find a bit too Argentine for comfort.

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