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Jeff Roberson
Despite an expanded field, the top four teams in the FIFA rankings still managed to overcome an additional round in the knockout stage.
Gearing up for the final stage of the tournament all four teams are guaranteed two more games, but there is only one match that matters, and only two of the four teams can make it. As the tournament now only features 1/12th of the original 48, here is a look at both matches, set for Tuesday and Wednesday:
Spain vs. France
Ranked No. 2, Spain’s match with No. 3 France is sure to be a good one. Both teams hold the highest odds, according to Sports Illustrated, to emerge victorious when it is all said and done.
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Julio Cortez
France’s Kylian Mbappé has turned heads throughout the tournament, scoring eight goals so far, and has his country poised to advance to take the tournament after falling just short in 2022. France’s odds are the highest sitting at +150.
However, Spain’s Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, and other playmakers such as Pedri and 19-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal may have something to say about France’s odds. For Spain, which holds the second-highest odds at +320, it would only be the second time the team reaches the World Cup final, after winning it in 2010 against Netherlands.
“It’s not an exaggeration to describe this match as a final before the final,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said at a postmatch press conference. But he expressed confidence in his team’s ability against France.
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Julio Cortez
“We’re one of the teams capable of reaching the final.”
Spain opened the tournament a little shaky when it drew with Cape Verde, but the team has passed some difficult tests against rival Portugal and Belgium. A win against France and potentially a World Cup victory would surely be redemption.
“The match will be more open than ever,” De La Fuente said. “We will have to raise our level of play, and we’re going to give everything.”
France lost to Spain in the 2024 Euro but France center-back Ibrahima Konaté said they do not fear Spain.
“You cannot fear anyone,” he said. “Spain is an exceptional team, with a lot of individual quality, so we won’t be focusing on just one player even though Lamine is a great player.”
Spain and France match up in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday at 1 p.m. on Fox.
Argentina vs. England
The No. 1 against the No. 4 ranked team is Wednesday’s matchup as Argentina takes on England. The two countries have not met in the World Cup since 2002 but the two hold one of the most well-known World Cup moments.
In 1986, Diego Maradona fisted a ball, unnoticed by the officials, to defeat the England in one of the most infamous moments the tournament has witnessed. Argentina went on to win the World Cup that year and is the defending champ this year.
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Julio Cortez
England, however, has not even sniffed a World Cup title. The only time the country won the World Cup was 1966 when it hosted. Holding slightly better odds (+340) than Argentina (+360), England looks to break through and smash Lionel Messi and Argentina’s hope for back-to-back World Cups in the process.
Admitting attention will largely be on Messi, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said he is confident in his team’s ability.
“You can’t look past the ability and the talent we’ve got in the squad,” he said per Flashscore. “Defensively, togetherness, we’ve got it all there and that’s what we need to put on a show on Wednesday.”
“We’re ready for anything, and it’s us against them and it’s about who comes out on top. We’re fully prepared for that.”
Meanwhile, Argentina’s manager also toned down rivalry talks.
“It’s a soccer match. The message is it’s a soccer match. We’re not looking for anything else. It’s a soccer match,” Lionel Scaloni said in a press conference. “We’re going to play a game against a great national team who has a great coach that I appreciate, admire a lot. It’s a soccer match. Period. There’s no more than that.”
Given the team’s history, time will tell if that is true.
The two face off in Atlanta on Wednesday at 1 p.m. on Fox.
