We truly have two spectacles ahead of us in the semifinals of this World Cup as four giants go head to head. Two finals before the actual final, as the rivalries and the quality in each of these two fixtures are at the very highest level. Following the format we used in the quarters, we’ll dissect both matches individually and then provide some tips from a Fantasy perspective. In this stage of the competition, it’s all about the details, as it can very easily go either way; there isn’t that much of a difference in quality.

France vs Spain

Arguably the biggest fixture of the tournament so far sees two of the favorites collide for a place in the World Cup final. While goals could be harder to come by than in previous rounds, France vs Spain always delivers, considering their recent matchups.

Kylian Mbappé remains an automatic pick after another outstanding tournament, with the French captain continuing to produce goals, shots and successful dribbles at an elite level. Even against Spain’s disciplined back line, his explosiveness in transition makes him one of the safest captaincy options available. With 8 goals and 3 assists in 6 matches, his World Cup form has literally been “out of this world”

On the other side, while Lamine Yamal has only scored once and doesn’t even have an assist, his contribution to Spain’s attack has been vital. The teenager has consistently created chances, completed take-ons, and contributed in the final third, giving him one of the highest fantasy ceilings among Spain’s attackers.

If the match takes on a different route, away from the action and straight into a tactical battle, Pedri may be your man. Despite being benched against Belgium, Luis de la Fuente soon realized his midfield doesn’t function without him, as Pedri was brought on for the last 35 minutes when it was 1-1. His ability to dictate possession, recover the ball and create opportunities allows him to be a strong contender for a match of this importance, where lots of calculations will occur and every mistake is heavily penalized.

England vs Argentina

England have found a way to survive every knockout hurdle so far, but standing between them and a first World Cup final since 1966 are the defending champions and arguably their biggest rivals, Argentina. From Maradona in 1986 to Beckham’s red card in 1998, and then England’s revenge in ’02, there’s so much history to this rivalry purely relating to things that occurred on the football pitch itself, let alone outside of it.

Jude Bellingham is impossible to ignore after dragging England past Norway with another decisive performance. The midfielder has been England’s heartbeat throughout the tournament, contributing goals, recoveries, and all-around dominance. Scoring twice against Norway and Mexico speaks volumes about his impact for England in the knockout stage.

For Argentina, Lionel Messi continues to prove that age is just a number and that he is the greatest player of all time. The veteran has been at the center of everything La Albiceleste creates, combining goals, key passes, and chance creation while chasing back-to-back World Cup titles. In a match where moments of brilliance could decide the outcome, backing Messi is rarely a bad idea. As a matter of fact, backing Messi at all is rarely a bad idea, regardless of the match or context. At this World Cup, Messi has a Sofascore Average Rating of 9.18, which is absolutely absurd, his lowest rating came against Jordan, where he came off the bench and played only 30 minutes, in which he scored a free-kick and ended with an 8.0. Eight goals and two assists in six appearances. Madness. There is simply no stopping him; he’s timeless.