World Cup semi | DD News

July 14, 2026 12:03 PM

France ready to fight Spain for midfield control in World Cup semi-final

France will not willingly surrender possession to Spain in Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final, coach Didier Deschamps said, with Aurelien Tchouameni available again as the teams prepare for a potentially decisive battle in midfield. Spain have built their run to the last four around their ability to dominate the ball, press opponents deep into their own half and control the rhythm of matches. France possess the pace to hurt them on the break, but Deschamps rejected the idea that his side would b...

July 13, 2026 1:54 PM

Messi set for long-awaited first England clash in World Cup semi-final

Lionel Messi has spent over two decades carving a path through international soccer, facing every World Cup-winning nation from Brazil to France, but one notable opponent has always been missing from the list: England. That will change on Wednesday when Argentina meet the European side in a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina's FA (AFA) described on its website as "the match fate owed Messi." The 39-year-old Messi has played Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spai...

June 26, 2024 5:40 PM

Cricket-India look to end clear knockout hurdle in England semi-final

India can take a huge step towards winning their first major title in over a decade and bury any doubts about their backbone in the knockout rounds when they face defending champions England in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals on Thursday. Despite being backed by the world's richest cricket board, success on the biggest stage has largely proved elusive for India and their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph is the most recent of their five global titles. Rohit Sharma's team, however, head into the...