I cannot even begin to describe the level of international football fever that has taken over my life right now. My friends, family, and coworkers who would not know the first thing about soccer are all chatting about the games and watching every game like it is the last. It’s been a really fun ride so far. Now, we are down to the final four teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and with a brief moment of quiet before the storm, I am absolutely buzzing for the next two games coming up. The stage is set for two historic, era-defining semifinal matchups that have the potential to go down as instant classics.
First up, we have France taking on Spain in Dallas. Now, if you look at the oddsmakers and the analysts, France is the clear favorite. They haven't conceded a single goal in the knockout rounds, and they have Kylian Mbappé playing like a man possessed, leading the Golden Boot race with 8 goals. On paper, France has built a ruthless, defensively sound machine.
But I’m going to go against the grain here: I think Spain has a phenomenal chance to pull off the upset.
Why? Because of what I’ve actually watched on the field during this tournament. While France relies heavily on transition speed and individual brilliance, Spain plays with a suffocating, collective control. Their midfield press, led by Rodri, has the unique capability to completely starve France of the ball and neutralize their counter-attacking lanes. If Spain can dictate the tempo and force France to chase the game, we are going to see a massive shift in power. I’m telling you, do not sleep on La Roja in this one.
Then, on Wednesday, we get the absolute blockbuster: England vs. Argentina in Atlanta. This is a fixture steeped in pure drama, historical rivalry, and intense emotion.
When I look at this game, the only thing I can confidently predict is absolute chaos. Both of these squads have had to scrape, claw, and fight their way through the knockout rounds with incredibly gritty, heart-stopping comebacks. England has survived by the absolute skin of their teeth, relying on dramatic late-game heroics from Jude Bellingham to stay alive. Argentina, on the other side, has put on high-scoring spectacles but has also looked incredibly vulnerable defensively, letting teams back into matches and relying on sheer willpower to cross the finish line.
Because both teams have shown they simply refuse to die, absolutely nothing would surprise me in this match. We could see a 0-0 tactical chess match that goes to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, or a wild, unstructured 4-3 thriller. One thing is for sure: it is going to be an emotional rollercoaster. Buckle up!!
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Of course, it wouldn't be a round in the World Cup without some massive, tournament-altering controversy, right?
The soccer world is still arguing over England’s equalizing goal against Norway in the quarterfinals. For those who missed it, Norway's goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland launched a goal kick that suddenly died in mid-air and dropped straight down. England scooped it up, and Bellingham scored to make it 1-1. The Norwegians went ballistic, claiming the ball hit the overhead Skycam wire, which—by the laws of the game—should have immediately stopped play for a dropped-ball restart.
Let’s look at both sides of the argument:
- The Case for Norway: Anyone with working eyes could see the ball's trajectory change unnaturally in mid-air. The camera wires hang directly over that zone, and a physical deflection is the only logical explanation for why a professional keeper's punt would suddenly drop like a stone.
- The Case for FIFA and VAR: FIFA pointed directly to their "Connected Ball" microchip technology, claiming the internal sensors showed absolutely "no peaks or spikes" in physical contact while the ball was in the air. Therefore, VAR ruled there was no definitive evidence of contact.
Here is my take: Let’s just stop all of this ridiculous nonsense.
Trying to use microchips to detect a glancing blow on a high-tension, vibrating steel cable is a fool's errand. Instead of halting matches to analyze digital heartbeats, let’s just update the rule book. Make the overhead wires part of the field. If the ball hits a wire, play on! We don't stop the game when a ball clips a referee, so why do it for stadium infrastructure? If you kick it high enough to hit a cable, that’s on you. Play to the whistle, keep the game moving, and let's leave the physics debates behind.
No matter what happens over these next 2 games I’m sure we will have a lot to chat about. Let the games begin!!