The World Cup semifinals are LOCKED IN, featuring four teams that have all won this thing before, and get this: it's the first time the top four teams in FIFA's rankings have *ever* made it this far together since they started ranking them in '92! We're talking history here, only the third time EVER that all four semifinalists are past champs, right up there with '70 and '90. Seriously, the bracket looks perfect on paper. France, Spain, England, and Argentina were the betting favorites from the jump, and not one of them has lost a game yet in this tournament. Only Spain and England even dropped points, both snagging a draw against an African squad despite just dominating the scoring chances. This is pure, unadulterated high-stakes soccer, and we're about to see some fireworks.
France vs. Spain: The Attackers Are Here To Feast
Tuesday, July 14, gives us the clash everyone's been waiting for since December's draw: France versus Spain. This is honestly the toughest game to call in the entire tournament, because any outcome could happen. France's attack is straight-up electric, and it's easy to see why they get all the headlines. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele? Five goals each, making them the first pair of teammates to do that since Brazil's Ronaldo and Rivaldo won the whole thing back in '02. They're both tearing it up, ranking among the top six for chances created, and France is just scoring for fun, leading the whole dang tournament with 16 goals and a ridiculous +14 goal difference. That's just wild, folks! But don't sleep on Spain, either. They're right there with 11 goals and 11.7 non-penalty expected goals, which is second best in the tournament. And get this: neither team has given up many scoring chances. Spain has allowed just one goal in six games, and France only two, both in the group stage. In the knockout rounds, France has allowed 18 shots and 1.0 expected goals, while Spain has given up 20 shots and 1.3 expected goals. But let's be real, neither team has faced an attack quite like the one they're about to see. These two met in the Nations League semifinals last June and it was a 5-4 thriller for Spain. I don't expect it to be that bonkers, but I'm betting both sides find the net here. The over on goals looks good too; there's just too much raw talent on that field to not see goals.England and Argentina Battle Through The Brutality
Then, on Wednesday, July 15, we get England versus Argentina, and this one promises to be a grind. England has been scrapping their way through, with three one-goal wins in the knockout stage. Argentina's almost mirroring that, only getting a little padding on the score sheet with a Lautaro Martínez stoppage-time goal in their 3-1 win over Switzerland on Saturday. Both teams have generally been the better side in all three of their knockout games. England, specifically, has scored at least twice in every game, stacking up 4.0 non-penalty goals. You gotta wonder if that relentless pressure will pay off against Argentina's grit. So, what's next? The winners of these two epic semifinal clashes square off for the biggest prize in soccer. It's the final, folks, the whole ballgame. We've got two absolutely massive matches coming up, and you just know every player on that pitch is going to leave it all out there for a shot at glory. Bring it on!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.