France Faces Spain Tuesday, England Waits on Declan Rice for Wednesday's Semifinal Against Argentina

Two Semifinals, Four Teams Who've Held FIFA's Top Rankings for Two Years

The World Cup field has narrowed to its final four, and it's the same four teams that have occupied FIFA's top international rankings for roughly two years, according to NPR. France plays Spain in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, kicking off at 8pm BST. Argentina faces England in Atlanta on Wednesday, same kickoff time. The winners meet in the final at East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.

France-Spain: Attack Versus Defense

France boss Didier Deschamps, who is stepping down after 14 years in charge once the tournament ends, called the France-Spain matchup "spectacular" before it happens, according to the BBC. Spain has conceded just one goal in six World Cup games, per NPR, the best defensive record left in the tournament. France has scored 16 goals in six games, with Kylian Mbappe responsible for eight of them.

Deschamps named Spain the favorite. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente pushed back on that framing, telling reporters "it doesn't mean anything" and that both teams carry pressure regardless of who's tagged the favorite, the BBC reported.

Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race tied with Lionel Messi at eight goals each and has more total goal contributions than anyone else in the tournament, according to the BBC. He needs one more goal against Spain to move outright ahead of Messi. If France wins, it becomes only the third country in World Cup history to reach three straight finals, joining West Germany (1982-1990) and Brazil (1994-2002).

On the other side, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal has had what the BBC called a "quiet" tournament by his standards. Tuesday is being framed as his chance to break out on the sport's biggest stage the way Mbappe did against Messi's Argentina back in 2018.

England Still Waiting on Rice

England's semifinal against Argentina carries its own subplot: whether Declan Rice can start. The Arsenal midfielder was substituted at halftime of Saturday's extra-time win over Norway after spending three days in bed with a sickness bug picked up in Mexico, according to the BBC. Head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed the illness after the match. Rice has also been managing a lower back and hamstring issue for months.

England medics are expected to make a late call on his fitness. As of Monday, the BBC reported growing optimism that Rice's condition had improved enough over 48 hours to give him a real chance of starting.

There's also a smaller storyline hanging over the England camp. Tuchel told reporters after the Norway win that England "got lucky" and that he wasn't happy with the performance "in every sense." Jude Bellingham was asked about those comments and responded, "Yeah, well, whatever. It's difficult out there." Captain Harry Kane shut down any suggestion of a rift on Monday, telling the BBC it's "easy to try and create this division" and that the squad is "completely together."

For Argentina, it's a farewell tour of sorts. Messi, 39, has never faced England in his career, and this may be his last chance. England left-back Nico O'Reilly called it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to face who he described as "the best player to ever touch a football pitch," according to the BBC.

Security and Expansion Still in the Background

Away from the pitch, the FBI and Atlanta Police Department have ramped up drone-detection operations ahead of Wednesday's semifinal at Atlanta Stadium, according to Fox News. The FBI has confiscated more than 600 unauthorized drones nationwide since the tournament began, with 86 of those seizures in Atlanta alone, Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham told Fox News. Graham said most operators are hobbyists rather than threats, but the FBI treats every unauthorized drone in restricted airspace as a potential risk until it's identified.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino's comments about a possible 64-team format for 2030 continue to generate debate. Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that expansion "will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees" after this tournament wraps, arguing that smaller nations need a pathway to compete or they lose incentive to develop talent. Fox News framed the 48-team expansion this cycle as a clear success, citing record group-stage attendance and the U.S.-Belgium match becoming the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in American history.

Whether FIFA's committees actually greenlight another expansion, and what that means for match quality and player workload, remains an open question with no formal decision made.