The World Cup has entered its most compelling phase, with just four teams remaining. France, Spain, England, and Argentina are each two victories from lifting the trophy, and the margin for error has all but disappeared.

Mbappé v Yamal — European heavyweights collide

France v Spain, Dallas Stadium, Tuesday 20:00 BST

This fixture carries the hallmarks of a World Cup classic. Two of Europe's most formidable squads meet at a stage where neither can afford a single misstep.

Kylian Mbappé has been the tournament's dominant force for France, scoring eight goals to sit just one behind Lionel Messi in the race to become the World Cup's all-time top scorer. His eight-goal haul places him level with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

Yet France are far more than a one-man show. Ousmane Dembélé sealed the quarter-final win over Morocco — a 2-0 victory — to bring his tally to five goals, while Michael Olise leads the entire competition with five assists. That collective depth makes Didier Deschamps' side a formidable proposition.

Spain, who beat France 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semi-finals, arrive with history on their side but questions still to answer. Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona winger who turns 19 on the eve of the tie, has scored only once in the tournament — against Saudi Arabia in the group stage — and has yet to deliver the defining World Cup performance his talent demands.

Mikel Oyarzabal, who has four goals to his name, has gone without a goal in the last two matches, leaving Luis de la Fuente's side reliant on substitute Mikel Merino to find late winners against both Portugal and Belgium in the knockout rounds.

Spain head into the tie on the longest unbeaten run in their history — 36 matches without defeat since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March 2024, a sequence comprising 27 wins and nine draws. France, meanwhile, will appear in their eighth World Cup semi-final, equalling Brazil and trailing only Germany, who have featured in 12. The sides have met just once before at a World Cup: France came from behind to win 3-1 in the round of 16 in 2006.

A rivalry renewed — England and Argentina renew old hostilities

England v Argentina, Atlanta Stadium, Wednesday 20:00 BST

Forty years after Diego Maradona's infamous quarter-final in Mexico, England and Argentina meet again — this time with a place in the World Cup final as the prize.

For England, it would be their first final appearance in 60 years. For Argentina, it is their third semi-final in the last four editions of the tournament — having reached the last four in 2014 and 2022 as well — after a lengthy absence that stretched back to 1990.

Messi, who became the World Cup's all-time top scorer during this tournament, has never faced England before. He enters this match level with Mbappé on eight goals, with both men locked together at the summit of the Golden Boot race.

England have their own talisman in Jude Bellingham, who has scored twice in each of their last two knockout matches — the first player to accomplish that feat since Maradona himself in 1986. Captain Harry Kane has six goals and is level with Bellingham in the scoring charts.

Neither side has produced their most fluent football so far, grinding out results rather than dazzling. Manager Thomas Tuchel has called for greater quality after England's quarter-final win over Norway, though his record is already historic: he is only the second England manager to go unbeaten across his first six World Cup games in charge, after Alf Ramsey, who posted the identical record — five wins and one draw — en route to the 1966 title.

England have won four consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1966, and have reached the semi-finals of four major tournaments since 2018 — matching the total they had accumulated across their entire previous history before that year.