Spain stopped the unstoppable force and beat France yesterday 2-0 in the first World Cup semifinal, holding Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in check. This is Spain’s first appearance in a World Cup final since it won in 2010. It denied France’s bid to make three consecutive World Cup finals, too.

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The semifinal today resumes one of international soccer’s most bitter rivalries. Argentina vs. England. Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham. This one does not lack storylines, either. We’ll be live-blogging the game at NBC News, so come follow along!

World Cup Recap

Spain is headed to Sunday’s World Cup final after shutting down France’s glittering array of attacking talent, crushing the tournament favorites 2-0 in Texas.

The European champion controlled the game and combined a rock-solid defense with incisive attacking flair. France, on the other hand, was dominated in midfield and barely troubled its opponents until it was two goals down.

Kylian Mbappé, the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the World Cup’s knockout stage, was neutralized. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, who has a tournament-high five assists, were also kept quiet by the ruthless Spaniards.

Instead, it was Spain’s superstar, Yamine Lamal, who helped break the deadlock after winning a penalty kick in the first half. His teammate, striker Mikel Oyarzabal, buried the spot kick past French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Right back Pedro Porro, who was fighting relegation with his club Tottenham Hotspur last season, scored Spain’s second goal in the 58th minute.

Spain heads into Sunday’s final having conceded just one goal in seven games.

Dating to March 2024, Spain remains unbeaten in regular time in its last 37 matches, a national record. It has never lost a game at the World Cup or the European Championship under coach Luis de la Fuente.

After trying to become only the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, France instead will play in the third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday.

World Cup Preview

Today’s clash between Argentina and England in Atlanta is one of the sport’s bitterest grudge matches. It will be the sixth World Cup encounter between these two soccer giants, their first in nearly three decades.

It will be the first time 39-year-old Lionel Messi has faced England; if he loses, it might be his final game in an Argentina jersey. And it is one of England’s biggest games since the 1966 tournament, the only time it has ever lifted a major international trophy.

Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 saw Messi emulate Diego Maradona by captaining his country to the title. Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986 after downing England in the quarterfinals with two of the most famous goals in history — one, an infamous handball, and the second, a spectacular solo effort dubbed “Goal of the Century.”

Messi’s eight goals in the tournament so far have been pivotal to Argentina’s run, and his moments of magic have dragged his team through big scares against Cape Verde and Egypt.

England has a talismanic No. 10 of its own in Jude Bellingham, who is at the opposite end of his career to Messi. The 23-year-old Real Madrid star has six goals, including two each in the last two rounds against Mexico and Norway.

Men In Blazers

Standing in the way of England’s first World Cup final since 1966 is a diminutive figure who wears the hopes of Argentina every time he pulls on the blue-and-white shirt. Incredibly, Lionel Messi has never played against the Three Lions in his career, but he has tormented English defenses in the Champions League for decades. With eight goals and two assists so far this tournament, the GOAT will be rubbing his hands.

Although Julián Álvarez belatedly arrived at the tournament with a screamer against Switzerland in the quarterfinal, England manager Thomas Tuchel knows if he can nullify Messi in Atlanta, his courageous team can go one further than the previous manager, Gareth Southgate, took it in 2018.

Both Tuchel and Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni admitted they were lucky in their quarterfinal victories, but the parallels between the two teams go beyond their good fortunes.

Like Enzo Fernández for La Albiceleste, Elliot Anderson has been consistent in England’s midfield, but otherwise the Three Lions may as well be two, because the majority of their heavy lifting has been done by captain Harry Kane and talisman Jude Bellingham. Both trail Messi by two goals in the Golden Boot race, and perhaps the fact that Tuchel has two cheat codes as opposed to one gives him the upper hand.

However, Scaloni’s experienced team has been here and done this before, and while its defense may be erratic, so is England’s. It will be a battle of blood and thunder as much as skill and finesse between two passionate footballing countries whose disdain has permeated generations. We can’t wait.

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What We’re Watching

There’s only one game today! Clear your schedule. It’s on Telemundo and Peacock, and the time listed is Eastern:

• 3 p.m.: Argentina vs. England

That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.