Hello and welcome to Daily Mail Sport’s World Cup Breakfast from day 35 at the tournament – your one-stop shop for everything you’ve missed overnight in North America.
For all the latest news, viral moments and what to look out for, stay right here.
OVERNIGHT NEWS
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has warned that his players are ‘peaking’ at the right moment after locking out France in their 2-0 semi-final win. After a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opening game, Spain have won six, scored 13 via seven different players, and conceded one. Spain also stumbled in their 2010 opener before going on to win the tournament, as did Argentina in 2022, so there is something to be said for the ‘peaking’ model.
Meanwhile, France boss Didier Deschamps has questioned whether the refereeing in the match was ‘up to the standard required’. People are giving him short shrift – Les Bleus had nothing on their opponents and, if anything, were lucky that Michael Olise wasn’t sent off for a rash challenge on Rodri. Deschamps, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, has taken charge of the last match of his 14-year tenure and is reportedly set to be replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
Bad news Arsenal fans – William Saliba is injured. He came off in the first half and was replaced by Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix. French journalist Julien Laurens, who is typically reliable, reported that Saliba said: ‘My back is gone, my back is gone.’
Finally, in his press conference, Thomas Tuchel insisted he can lead England to World Cup glory despite his unimpressive playing career, quipping: ‘You don’t have to be a horse to be a good jockey!’ He also made clear that he and Jude Bellingham are on good terms after the furore around their recent post-match comments.
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Pedro Porro (left) and Mikel Oyarzabal (right) scored to send Spain to the World Cup final
Kylian Mbappe and his starry team-mates didn’t show up – he will be 31 at the next World Cup
VIEW FROM THE GROUND
If the streets of Atlanta last night are anything to go by then England will be playing an effective away game today, for the right to go to the World Cup Final.
Everywhere you turned it seemed there were legions of fans in pale blue and white striped shirts. As I type this, from a Mexican downtown restaurant, the bloke at the side of me is wearing a knock-off Maradona 1986 Le Coq Sportif number.
Whether that scene is replicated in the stadium remains to be seen. The FA have sold around 8,000 tickets and there has been a huge support from Americans for Thomas Tuchel’s men. They have not, yet, faced Lionel Messi, however.
Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni faced the world’s media last night at the magnificent Mercedes Benz Stadium and were both singing from the same hymn sheet when it came to history and the Falklands War. Tuchel said he would not use history as ‘fuel’ for his players before sharing with the room that he was fuelling himself with ice cream and bike rides around parking lots. Scaloni also spoke well, adding that he would not mix football and politics.
Anyway, time for football. After France’s exit, England are one of the last three standing. Tomorrow, the American dream could become a reality. A first World Cup final since 1966 and a chance to avenge the Euros defeat at the hands of Spain.
Here we go.
Mike Keegan in Atlanta
TEAM OF THE DAY
Thanks to Sofascore for the graphic. Nine men for Spain, two for France. Ouch.
CELEBRITY WATCH
Not for the first time, David Beckham found himself handed premium tickets for a World Cup game.
The former England star – who spent four years in Spain playing for Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007 – attended alongside his wife Victoria.
Three of their kids were there, too: sons Cruz and Romeo, and daughter Harper. There was, of course, no sign of Brooklyn amid a family rift.
Four of Spain’s 2010 World Cup winners – Xavi, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, and Carles Puyol – looked on happily.
Meanwhile, former and current Olympic sprinting champions Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles sat next to each other. Once upon a time, Bolt may have harboured a faint hope of playing in the World Cup – he did, after all, have a short-lived football career which generated many headlines.
Elsewhere in the ground, Timothee Chalamet and Javier Bardem turned up from the acting world.
David and Victoria Beckham were present for another match, this time in Dallas
Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles looked dapper as they swapped the track for the posh seats
VIRAL MOMENT OF THE DAY
Was Gianni Infantino booed by thousands of people in the stadium?
It appeared that way, if you were watching the broadcast. Plenty of clips have been doing the rounds on social media, showing Gianni Infantino sat down and smiling awkwardly as a chorus of boos ring out.
ITV commentator Sam Matterface was at pains to clarify that the booing was actually for the owner of NFL team Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, who appeared on the big screen in the stadium, supposedly at the same time.
Gianni Infantino was seen on the broadcast at the same time as a chorus of boos was heard
ITV insisted that the boos were for the owner of NFL side Dallas Cowboys, who was shown on a screen in the stadium
PICTURE OF THE DAY
It’s the end of an era of French football with Deschamps stepping down and this photo encapsulates the differing directions as he and Mbappe – who he gave his France debut, World Cup debut and made captain – cut forlorn figures with at the full-time whistle.
During their time together, Mbappe has become their country’s all-time record goalscorer (64) and sits ninth in appearances (105). Even in the defeat by Spain, Mbappe made more history as he made his 21st World Cup outing for France – moving one clear of former goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. With the third-fourth play-off to come on Saturday he could extend it further.
Dejected Mbappe and Didier Deschamps walk in different directions after France’s defeat
STATS OF THE DAY
Spain are now unbeaten in 37 matches in all competitions, dating back to March 2024, when they lost 1-0 to Colombia. They’ve won 28 games and drawn nine in that time.
It’s the joint-longest unbeaten run by a European nation ever. Italy did the same between 2018 and 2021.
Meanwhile, midfielder Fabian Ruiz has now picked up 49 caps for Spain… and is yet to lose.
If England face them in the final, it’ll take something special to overthrow them.
Fabian Ruiz (right) has never lost for Spain – having played 49 times for his country so far
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
The glaringly obvious answer is the England vs Argentina match at 8pm UK time, so here are three more nuanced suggestions…
1) Is Declan Rice ready to play?
The current suggestions point to Declan Rice being well enough to play, but that could change over the course of the day.
He spent most of the three days prior to the Norway match in bed sick and came off at half-time. The Arsenal star picked up the bug in Mexico.
Rice has trained with his team-mates, but we don’t know if he is feeling 100 per cent. Will he still be under the weather? How has it been affecting other aspects like his appetite and sleep?
England’s only official absences are Jordan Henderson, who has had surgery on his left forearm after injuring it in the celebrations after the Mexico win, and Jarell Quansah, who is suspended after being sent off in the last-16 match.
Everyone connected wih England will hope Declan Rice (centre) is full fit after his illness
2) How will the match be refereed?
It’s no secret by now that many teams and supporters are suspicious of the way Argentina’s matches have been handled by match officials.
Algeria, Austria, Egypt, and Switzerland all complained about the officiating after their matches against the 2022 champions, some of them very vehemently.
Any 50/50 decision that doesn’t go England’s way is naturally going to attract ire. Fans will be watching like hawks.
Ismail Elfath, has been appointed to oversee the encounter. Elfath was the fourth official for the 2022 World Cup final and has refereed him four times in the MLS, with Messi winning all of those.
Obviously, that’s more down to team performances than the officials, but the ‘Messi’s favourite referee’ tag doesn’t help…
Ismail Elfath (centre right) will referee England’s World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina on Wednesday. Pictured with Lionel Messi when he was fourth official at the 2022 World Cup final
3) Watch out for France!
At the time of writing, just past midnight in the United Kingdom, there are local media reports of disturbances in France after their defeat against Spain.
We know that hooligans in France, particularly Paris, will often trash the streets and shops after a victory. It usually isn’t as bad after a defeat, oddly enough, but emergency services have been on guard.
The CL Press Agency has showed police dispersing fans in Paris, while there have been violent clashes and at least four arrests in Lyon, according to Actu Lyon.
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