Six of the top eight squads in FIFA’s worldwide rankings are still alive in this year’s tournament, meaning we’re in for something special when the semifinals begin on Tuesday. There’s a time for Cinderella stories, and then there’s a time for the kaiju of the field to just start whomping on each other. That time is now.
Spectacular highlights, all of them and more. The scoring leaders are well on their way to double digits in goal totals; Messi has 8, Mbappe and Haaland are one behind him, and Kane has 6. The squads are in position — every single nation is just one win from the semifinals, two wins from the final.
Between now and that final, we’ll have two sets of two rest days, time to let the tension and drama build, time for the players involved to reckon with the enormity of what they’re about to face. It’s not too much to say that what these squads do over the next few days will shape the rest of their lives. If they succeed, if they fail, they’ll have millions watching — and remembering — their every move.
No Responses