00:14Welcome to BEYOND THE GAME THE BOSTS THE SPIR.
00:16The second half is in the final minutes in the first World Cup semifinal and Spain remains
00:21in control with a 2-0 lead.
00:23The match featured an evenly contested midfield battle until the breakthrough came in the 20th
00:28minute when Lucas Digne attempted a clearance and struck la main llamar inside the box.
00:34Two minutes later Mikkel Oriolzaba confidently converted from the spot, sending his effort
00:38into the top right corner beyond French goalkeeper Miquel Mignon.
00:43Since taking the lead, Spain dictated possession and controlled the tempo, forcing France to
00:47chase the game.
00:49Le Bleu have looked increasingly disorganized in their search for an equalizer, yet in the
00:5458th Spain double the lead, Pedro Potro played a give and go with Olmo before side footing
01:00passed Mignon.
01:08Let's see how these two teams arrive to this moment.
01:14France looked every bit the title contender from the opening whistle of the tournament, topping
01:19Group I with three victories from three matches.
01:21Didier Deschamps' side combined a rock-solid defense with clinical finishing, defeating
01:26Irak before edging Senegal in a decisive group clash and then cruising past Norway to finish
01:32the opening phase with a perfect record.
01:34Kylian Mbappé led the attack, while France's depth and balance made Le Bleu one of the tournament's
01:40most complete teams heading into the knockouts' rounds.
01:43France has continued the dominance without conceding a goal in the knockout rounds.
01:48A convincing three-nil victory over Sweden in the round of 32 was followed by a disciplined
01:53one-nil win over surprise package Paraguay in the round of 16.
01:57In the quarter-finals, Les Bleu ended Morocco's historic run with a composed two-nil victory,
02:02securing a place in the semifinals for the second consecutive World Cup and keeping alive
02:06their dream of a third world title.
02:09Spain announced themselves as one of the tournament favorites by dominating Group H. La Roja overwhelmed
02:15Saudi Arabia in a commanding opening victory before proving their resilience in a hard-fought
02:20draw with Cape Verde.
02:21They closed the group stage with another emphatic performance against Uruguay to finish first,
02:26showcasing the possession-based football and defensive discipline that have become trademarks
02:31under Luis de la Fuente.
02:32Spain has steadily raised its level with every knockout match.
02:36Austria offered little resistance in a comfortable 3-nil round of 32 victory before Portugal pushed
02:42La Roja to their limit in a 10-Siberian derby that Spain edged 1-0.
02:47The biggest test came in the quarter-finals, where Spain overcame Belgium 2-1 in a high-quality
02:52contest to book another World Cup semifinal, extending an impressive run that has seen them concede
02:57just once in the knockout rounds.
03:03The second semifinal of the 2016 FIFA World Cup promises one of international football's
03:07greatest rivalries as England and defending champions Argentina battle for a place in Sunday's
03:12final.
03:13England has relied on the leadership and goals of Harry Kane and the outstanding form of
03:17Butte Bellingham, who have been responsible for the majority of the three Lions scoring during
03:22the tournament.
03:23Argentina, meanwhile, continues to be inspired by Lionel Messi while Julian Alpes and Lautaro
03:28Martinez have provided crucial support in attack.
03:31The history between these two nations is among the most iconic in World Cup history.
03:35The rivalry includes the unforgettable 1986 quarter-finals remember for Diego Matadona's
03:41hand of God and goal of the century, as well as England's penalty shootout victory in
03:45the 2002 round of 16.
03:47Every meeting carries added emotion, but Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has insisted this semifinal
03:53should be viewed simply as a football game.
03:55You can expect a fascinating contrast in styles.
03:57England would look to control the midfield through Bellingham and Rice while feeding Kane
04:01in the final third.
04:02Argentina would depend on Messi's vision and experience, quick combinations and the
04:05redentless pressure of its attacks.
04:15And London is embracing the World Cup fever ahead of England's semifinal against Argentina
04:19with Bellingham Station in Southeast London temporarily renamed Jude Bellingham Station in honor of a
04:25three Lions midfield start.
04:27The tribute reflects the excitement surrounding Bellingham, who has scored races in each of England's
04:32last two knockout victories.
04:33Supporters are now hoping he can deliver another match-winning performance and guide England
04:38to its first World Cup final since 1966.
04:41The showdown with Argentina promises to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament,
04:45with a place in Sunday's final at stake.
04:54And Swiss fans gave their national team a hero's welcome in Zurich after an inspiring FIFA World
05:00Cup campaign that ended with a quarter-final defeat to Argentina in extra time.
05:04Thousands of supporters packed the streets and gathered outside the team's arrival point,
05:08applauding a squad that matched Switzerland's best ever World Cup finish by reaching the last eight.
05:13Murat Jakin's side earned widespread praise for its discipline defending and its resilience
05:18throughout the tournament before eventually falling 3-1 to Argentina after extra time.
05:23Despite the heartbreak, players and coaching staff thanked supporters for their own wavering backing
05:29as fans celebrated a team that once again proved that Switzerland can compete with the world's elite
05:34on football's biggest stage.
05:42First of all, a huge thank you. We would have loved to stay for another week.
05:47But it's also wonderful to see our supporters again in such an atmosphere.
05:51The images we saw were fantastic. It was really amazing.
05:55We are extremely proud of the work done by all the staff and every player.
05:59I want to thank you all very sincerely.
06:04I think it's still a bit hard to take in what we've achieved.
06:08We'll probably manage it during the holidays once we've had the chance to relax a bit.
06:12But overall, I think it was a good tournament. We can be proud of what we've done.
06:17Unfortunately, in the end, it just wasn't enough.
06:20With a bit more luck, we could have gone even further.
06:22But that's the game and we accept the result.
06:25It was great to celebrate here with all the supporters and to welcome the team, who gave us so much
06:31joy.
06:31We know very well that they all should have qualified, but it was nice to be able to celebrate them.
06:38The Croatian Football Federation announced Slavin Bilic as the new head coach of the national team.
06:44The 57-year-old manager takes over from Slatko Dalic, who stepped down following Croatia's run of 32 exit at
06:50the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
06:52Bilic returns for a second spell in charge after previously managing the national team from 2006 to 2012.
06:58During his first tenure, he posted an impressive record of 42 wins, 15 draws and just 8 feats,
07:04while Dalic finished with more total victories, 62 wins, 20 draws and 29 losses.
07:09Bilic was the better winning percentage.
07:11His best achievement with Croatia came at UEFA Euro 2008, where he guided the team to the quarterfinals.
07:24So we are only a couple of minutes away from the finishing whistle in the first semifinal between Spain and
07:31France,
07:31which Spain is winning 2-0.
07:32And with just a couple of minutes to go, I think it's set on stone that Spain is the first
07:36finalist of this FIFA World Cup.
07:39We will face whoever wins tomorrow between England and Argentina.
07:43With this information, we go back to you, Ale.
07:46Thank you very much, Lucy, for keeping us posted on today's match that has been a very exciting one and
07:52remains to be seen,
07:54who will be accompanied today's winner.
07:56So after this special segment, we have come to the end of this news brief.
08:01Remember, you can find this and many other stories on our website at telesurenglish.net.
08:06Also join us on social media.
08:07We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, and also TikTok.
08:12Our telesur English, I'm Alejandra García.
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