More reaction and analysis:
David Hytner was at Al Bayt Stadium. Here’s his report. Congratulations to France for making it through to a semi-final with Morocco; commiserations to England, who gave an excellent account of themselves tonight, as well as throughout the tournament; and thanks to you for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Gareth Southgate speaks to ITV. “Our performance deserved better. Goals are decisive, but I’ve just said to the players, I don’t think they could have given any more. I think they played really well against a top team. There are fine margins, things at both ends that have ended up deciding the game, but the way the players have progressed as a group through this tournament has been fantastic. In most of the big moments we were in the right place. We had more shots on goal. But it’s a game of fine margins.”
What about the referee? “It’s pointless me going into that. I’d rather talk about our players. Congratulations to France, they know they’ve been in a hell of a game. We’ve given a top team a game. I really don’t think we could have done any more.”
As for Kane’s miss? “For me, we win and lose as a team. We’ve let a couple of goals in, and missed a few chances. So he’s been incredible for us, so reliable in those sort of situations. We wouldn’t be here but for the number of goals he’s scored for us.”
A missed opportunity? “We were here to try to win the tournament. We had the belief that we could, and we showed in our performance tonight against the reigning champions, that we have a team that could have done that.
… and finally, is he staying until Euro 2024, as per his contract? “After every tournament we’ve reviewed and reflected. We need a little bit of time to make sure that everyone makes the right decisions.”
This is the semi-final line-up, then. England and their fans will understandably demur right now, but that’s an exciting prospect. In 2018, all four semi-finalists were European; this time round, South America and, for the first time, Africa are represented. The World Cup, right here!
Tue 13: Argentina v Croatia (7pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Wed 14: France v Morocco (7pm GMT, Al Bayt Stadium)
Jordan Henderson talks to ITV. “It’s hard to sum it up now, straight after the game. It’s difficult to find the right words. I thought we’d given everything. We were disappointed to go 1-0 down but our character and mentality to keep going and find the equaliser … unfortunately it wasn’t our night.”
On the missed penalty: “We know how many penalties Harry Kane has scored for us. He scored the first one. How many goals he’s contributed for us to even get here. He’ll be stronger for it in the long run, I’m sure. He’s a world-class striker and our captain. We wouldn’t be here without him.”
Was this a big chance missed? “Probably, yeah. Unfortunately it wasn’t our night. You have to give credit to France, who are a good team, but I still felt it was there for us to win tonight.”
Poor Kane. He’s battling hard against the tears, which surely will come at some point tonight. Sooner rather than later. Bellingham looks distraught and is consoled by Aaron Ramsdale, then Gareth Southgate, who also spends a few minutes hugging his captain. Southgate knows a thing or two about missing crucial penalties, Euro 96 and all that, so he’ll be a rock for Kane, who is a study in utter desolation right now. He trudges off down the tunnel. Meanwhile France cavort in delight, as well they might! They’re still on course to be the first country to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. It won’t feel much of a consolation right now, but England have lost to a brilliant side.
Updated
FULL TIME: England 1-2 France
The reigning champions are through to the semi-finals! They’ll face Morocco on Wednesday evening. England meanwhile will be going home. Harry Kane drops to his haunches and buries his head away.
Updated
90 min +11: Rashford whips a wonderful free kick over the wall and back down towards the top-right corner … but not back down quite enough. The ball clears the bar and settles on the top of the netting, and that’s surely that.
90 min +10: As you’d expect, it takes France a while to sort out their wall. Rashford is made to wait to take.
90 min +9: There’s going to be one last chance for England! A hail Mary is hoofed into the box. France don’t make a challenge … until Maguire, of all people, dribbles across the face of the penalty box and, on the edge of the D, is upended by Coman. Free kick in a very promising position!
90 min +8: Mbappe dribbles down the left and looks to have been clipped by Sterling. He wants the free kick, but the Random Decision Generator says no.
90 min +7: Stones looked in big trouble for a while there, so it’s good to see him back up and trotting to the sidelines. But he won’t continue, because he’s sacrificed for Grealish. One last roll of the dice.
90 min +6: Stones challenges for a high ball with Giroud. He lands awkwardly and goes down in pain. On comes the trainer.
90 min +5: Shaw loops a ball in from the left. Way too high, and that’s easy pickings for Lloris. Down he goes again, and time continues to do its relentless thing.
90 min +4: Sterling busies himself down the right but Hernandez stays strong and refuses to let him pass, before blasting the ball back into England’s half.
90 min +3: Sterling swings a cross in from the right. An easy claim for Lloris, who then does the Pickfordian thing of flopping down on the ground with the ball to eat up some precious seconds.
90 min +2: Shaw crosses from the left. Lloris flaps and concedes a corner. Shaw goes across to take the corner from the right. Upamecano blooters a header clear. The tension is palpable. A place in the World Cup semi-finals up for grabs right here!
90 min +1: Griezmann swings a free kick into the England mixer from the left. Rashford clears. Mbappe comes back at England down the left. Walker and Sterling do enough to stop his gallop. Here’s Peter Oh: “I think the time has come for Gareth Southgate to ask, ‘Will the English Wout Weghorst please stand up?’.”
90 min: This isn’t over yet … by a long chalk, because there will be eight added minutes.
89 min: An irate Maguire is booked for elbowing Griezmann in the back of the neck. The referee’s performance tonight has been idiosyncratic, to say the very least, but that was a no-brainer.
89 min: Mount buys a ticket for the lottery from the best part of 30 yards. The ball sails serenely into the stand.
88 min: Nope. The delivery is no good. France clear their lines, and the clock ticks on. “Someone asked why more players don’t just put their laces through the ball and smash it. That’s why.” Adam Becker there, because somebody had to say it.
87 min: Mount draws another foul, this time out on the right touchline. He’ll take this one himself. England load the box. All set up for Kane’s redemption?
85 min: I’m not sure anybody in the entire stadium believes what they’ve just seen. Kane – who would have become England’s record goalscorer had he slotted – looks utterly stunned. So does everyone else. Usually so reliable! Wow. Rashford comes on for Foden.
84 min: Oh my! Kane puts his foot through the ball again … only to blaze wildly over the bar! It’s not quite Waddle-esque … but it’s not that far off. Oh Harry.
Updated
83 min: It’s Kane versus Lloris part two. An interminable, nerve-wracked wait. Here we go!
Penalty for England!
82 min: The referee goes over to have a look at the monitor … then comes back and points to the spot! Hernandez is only booked, as Mount wasn’t in control of the ball and therefore no scoring opportunity was denied. England are furious France aren’t down to ten … but at least they’ve got a chance to save themselves!
Updated
80 min: Mount is immediately into the thick of it, chasing a long pass down the inside-left channel. Hernandez comes across and barges him from the side … but also from the behind. Just inside the box. VAR could be interested in this, you know!
Updated
79 min: England respond by making a double change: Henderson and Saka off, Mount and Sterling on.
GOAL! England 1-2 France (Giroud 78)
England half clear the corner. The ball’s worked left to Griezmann, who powerfully curls towards the near post at mid-height. Giroud gets in ahead of Maguire and though he doesn’t make perfect contact, smashes a header into the bottom left. Pickford, the hero seconds ago, had no chance!
Updated
77 min: Pickford makes an outstanding point-blank save! A cross into the England box from the left. It’s cushioned back into the centre from the right. Giroud flashes a volley towards the bottom left, but the keeper gets a strong hand to palm out for a corner. However …
75 min: France haven’t showed much in attack lately, but now Hernandez crosses from the left. Giroud flashes a header wide right from ten yards. Chance. A few seconds earlier, Shaw had run into the back of Giroud, causing him to fall to the ground in the box. He made a half-arsed claim for a penalty, but nobody was listening.
74 min: England remain on top. A throw in from the right. Bellingham tries to spin Upamecano and falls into the box. He wants a penalty, and there was a little bit of contact, but the referee remains unmoved. That was much more ambiguous than the earlier challenge on Kane, to be fair.
72 min: Shaw works his way down the left and curls low. Saka races in from the right and prepares to blast home … only for Hernandez to get in the road and somehow deflect the ball wide left. In fact, the ball may have pinged back off Saka, because England don’t get the corner. They’re looking the more likely right now!
70 min: Henderson curls the free kick into the box. Maguire rises highest, ten yards out. His header isn’t the most powerful, but it drops towards the bottom-left corner … only to shave the outside of the post. Goal kick. Lloris probably had that covered, though you wouldn’t bet your last bronze centime on it. So close!
Updated
69 min: Saka is wrestled to the floor by Hernandez out on the England right. He gets the free kick this time. England line up on the edge of the French box. Henderson prepares to take.
68 min: Mbappe floats a diagonal pass towards Dembele, just inside the England box on the right. Everyone expects a creamed volley, but Dembele instead attempts a cushioned pass infield to … nobody in particular.
66 min: Saka is kicked on the heel by Rabiot but the referee waves play on. Saka and Bellingham are fuming. France meanwhile counter, and Tchouameni shovels a pass down the inside-left channel for Giroud, who extends a leg but can’t keep the ball from going out for a goal kick. He takes a while to get back up, having landed awkwardly. But back up he eventually gets.
64 min: Neither coach is yet to blink. No sign of much movement on the benches. This game really is poised rather entertainingly.
62 min: Griezmann barges Foden over illegally. He’s already on a yellow, and could now be in the last-chance saloon. Take care, Antoine.
61 min: England recover their poise, Saka then Kane testing Lloris from just inside the area. Both shots are weak, and the France captain passes the test easily. This game is very much in the balance.
59 min: “There have been some truly awful penalties in this World Cup,” notes Matt Dony. “There’s a lot to be said for simply leathering the ball. Kane hits penalties so hard. Why don’t all players do that?” Yes, there was no hint of a Mulligan and O’Hare-style tippy-toes run-up for that one. Kane knows what he’s doing from 12 yards all right.
58 min: England calm things down a little bit, taking their sweet time over a goal kick. Wise move, having lost the run of themselves for a couple of minutes after the equaliser. “I’m thinking we should all just pay Andrew Benton to stay at the Co-op for the entire match,” writes Kaarin Michaelsen. “Who’s with me?”
56 min: Mbappe turns on the jets and romps down the left. He whizzes past Walker with absurd ease. He cuts back, hoping to tee up Dembele, free on the penalty spot, but the ball goes behind his team-mate. Dembele can’t keep the attack going. Some response from France to falling behind!
55 min: That’s Kane’s 53rd goal for England. He now ties Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time leading scorer! France then nearly retake the lead immediately, Rabiot racing into acres down the middle and volleying a shot towards the bottom right. Pickford gets down well this time! He parries clear, a brilliant save.
Updated
GOAL! England 1-1 France (Kane 54 pen)
It’s an all-Spurs showdown: Kane versus Lloris. A nervous pause. Kane re-spots the ball … and powers a penalty into the left-hand side of the net, having sent Lloris the other way!
Updated
Penalty for England!
52 min: Saka dribbles in from the right flank again. He makes it into the box. Tchouameni hangs out a leg and brings him down. The referee points to the spot this time!
Updated
51 min: Saka dribbles dangerously in from the right wing, but just as things look like opening up for him, he hesitates and the chance is gone. But no matter, because …
50 min: Griezmann swings it in. Maguire clears. Kane chases after the ball in the hope of launching a counter, but doesn’t get there.
49 min: Mbappe steams past Henderson on the left flank and is clipped on the ankle. A free kick in a dangerous position. France load the box.
48 min: Foden hits the corner long. Lloris flaps, but Maguire can’t head into the empty net at the far post. Lloris takes his second chance to snaffle the ball.
47 min: … but Bellingham gets back up, and that ankle looks just fine, because the resulting free kick is worked to the edge of the D, where he pearls a stunning rising shot goalwards. It’s heading in, but Lloris fingertips over the bar. What a screamer! What a save!
46 min: Dembele comes sliding in on Bellingham, and goes into the book as a result. Bellingham stays down, having rolled his ankle.
England get the party started again. No changes … and here’s some hope for England, courtesy of Andrew Benton: “Enormous thanks to Jo Gray and Andrew McGuire for the brilliant set-piece set-up. I’m off the the Co-op, back in 22 or so mins. Please cross fingers.”
Updated
Controversy dept. For the record, on ITV, all three pundits – Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Gary Neville – think Saka was fouled in the build-up to the goal, and that Kane should have been awarded a penalty. But here we all are.
Who do you support?
Before you reach for the half-time oranges, please consider supporting Guardian journalism like this, for three reasons:
• We are independent - no one tells us what we can and can’t publish (and that includes Fifa)
• We rely on readers funding us to keep us independent
• We give you the full picture - the excitement on the pitch and the shame, corruption and injustice off it
Support the Guardian today – it only takes a minute. Thank you.
HALF TIME: England 0-1 France
At the break, Tchouaméni’s fine long-range daisycutter is the difference. England think it should have been chalked off for a foul earlier in the move on Saka, and surround the referee as everyone walks down the tunnel. Or maybe they’re discussing the non-award of a penalty for Upamecano’s tangle with Kane. Or perhaps both incidents. Either way, they’ll need to find something in the second half. As things stand, it’ll be France facing Morocco on Wednesday evening!
Updated
45 min +4: Foden hits the corner way too long. Hernandez and Bellingham contest the loose ball, the former coming off worst. Hernandez gets back up gingerly, but he looks good to continue.
45 min +3: Shaw creams a long ball down the left. It’s pretty aimless, truth be told, but Kounde clumsily allows it to clank off his head and out for a bonus corner for England.
45 min +2: France stroke it around the middle of the park in the patient style.
45 min +1: The first of four additional minutes.
45 min: Bellingham makes a little time and space for himself down the left by dropping a shoulder and gliding past Kounde. He crosses low hoping to find Kane, but there are too many blue shirts around. France clear their lines again.
43 min: Griezmann goes into the book for repeated fouling. The straw that broke the camel’s back: a cynical clip on Walker in the midfield.
42 min: Mbappe tries to spin Stones down the left but is brushed to the ground spectacularly … and legally. The referee tells Mbappe to get up as Stones strides off with the ball. The England fans enjoyed that.
Updated
41 min: Bellingham and Henderson combine well down the right, cutting back down the flank for Saka, who looks long for Kane. The England captain is bustled out of it at the far post, and France clear. It’s not as though England have failed to ask France a few questions.
39 min: A big chance for Mbappe to double France’s lead. He’s fouled by Henderson, and the resulting free kick is worked to Hernandez down the left. Hernandez pulls back low, and Mbappe sends a first-time effort from the penalty spot miles over the bar. Not the easiest of chances for Joe Public, but this is Mbappe we’re talking about, and the look on his face suggests he felt he should have done better.
38 min: A replay of the goal. Pickford certainly went down late, but he was almost certainly unsighted by Bellingham, whose legs Tchouameni’s shot whistled between.
37 min: Varane launches a long pass down the left for Mbappe, but Walker comes across to intercept and send the ball back safely to Pickford.
35 min: Dembele slides a pass down the right for Griezmann, who looks to make it into the penalty box but is brushed off the ball by the all-action Bellingham.
33 min: Ah, here he is. Bellingham passes carelessly straight to the France star. Mbappe dribbles his way down the left, but runs into a cul-de-sac as Walker and Bellingham, the latter tracking back to make up for his mistake, double up to stop him.
32 min: Mbappe’s been very quiet. Almost too quiet.
30 min: Foden takes the corner. The ball drops in the six-yard box, and gets stuck in the middle of a comic-book cloud with loads of boots and fists sticking out of it. A sausage on a fork as well. Kane can’t battle his way through the bedlam to poke home, and France eventually sort their collective feet out to hack clear.
Updated
29 min: Some space for Kane, the best part of 30 yards out. He takes aim for the top right. Lloris parries around the post for a corner, a fine save given the shot took a little deflection.
Updated
28 min: England have responded really well to conceding the opening goal. France haven’t done a great deal since. Here’s Richard Hirst: “I thought at first that Pickford could have done better but the replays showed how much away curl there was on the ball: credit the strike.”
26 min: Nope, VAR says play on. I’m guessing the contact was outside the box, in which case it was just a foul and free kick, not a penalty, and so VAR can’t intervene.
25 min: Kane dribbles into the France box from the right wing and falls to ground. He gets up and claims a penalty. Upamecano certainly tangled with him from behind. VAR to check. It looked as though there was clear contact, and it may well be on the line. Big moment coming up here!
Updated
23 min: Saka is lively, though. He rolls a pass inside from the right for Kane, who spins Upamecano and shoots from a tight angle, on the corner of the six-yard box. Lloris, who knows him well, spreads and blocks. Henderson tries to make something of the rebound, spooning towards the far post, but France deal with that easily enough. A good response to falling behind, this.
22 min: On ITV, refereeing guru Peter Walton points out that VAR will have looked at the Upamecano challenge on Saka, and waved it through. Also he thought the tackle was fine on first view anyway. So there we go.
21 min: Saka wins a foul this time, brought down by Rabiot as he dribbles purposefully infield from the right. A free kick just to the right of the D. Shaw takes, and curls it softly into the arms of Lloris.
19 min: England are claiming Saka was fouled at the start of that move. It’d be interesting to see it again, though on first view nothing looked amiss. Still, France had to move the ball the length of the field, scoring the best part of half a minute later. Plus Pickford may think he could have done better, but couldn’t get over to the shot in time.
GOAL! England 0-1 France (Tchouameni 17)
Upamecano picks Saka’s pocket with embarrassing ease in the French left-back position and sets off down the left flank. His team-mates follow. The ball’s shuttled to the right flank by Mbappe, then cut back via Dembele and Griezmann for Tchouameni, who sends a sensational diagonal daisycutter into the bottom left from 25 yards! What a strike!
Updated
15 min: Rice wins the ball in the centre circle and sends Kane off on a futile run down the inside-right channel. Henderson then ships possession carelessly to allow Rabiot to run down the left wing. Rabiot lays off to Mbappe, who can’t find Dembele free at the far stick with a raking cross. Goal kick.
13 min: France are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. “Keine drei ohne zwei is poppycock!” splutters Helmut Eckart. “Alle guten Dinge sind drei! is an actual German saying.”
11 min: Griezmann and Dembele are beginning to cause England some serious problems down the right. They combine again, the latter crossing for Giroud, who has to twist in mid-air to send a header straight at Pickford. An easy claim.
Updated
10 min: Griezmann cavorts down the right and forces Bellingham to toe-poke behind for a corner. Griezmann takes it himself and whips towards the near stick. Maguire clears calmly and effectively under intense pressure.
9 min: Dembele races down the right at speed and sends in a tempting low cross. Giroud prepares to sweep home from six yards, but Stones deflects away just in time. Brilliant football all round.
7 min: Mbappe curls in a cross from the left. Giroud attempts one of those fancy scorpion kicks he’s not half bad at, but this time doesn’t connect. Here’s Andrew McGuire: “In the event regular correspondent Andrew Benton does not go to the Co-op this evening I nominate myself - another Andrew, please note - as substitute, having just returned from my local Co-op with two 400 gram wholemeal loaves, which I would like to think will translate into two England goals. (I saw some baguettes but they looked decidedly unwholesome.)”
6 min: Shaw swings the ball into the mixer. Upamecano rises highest to power a header clear, and turns out half of the England team were caught offside anyway. Up pops the flag.
5 min: Foden takes receipt of the ball on the left touchline. He’s clumsily tripped by Dembele, and this is a chance for England to load the box. Shaw to take the free kick.
3 min: Saka drives at the France back line, causing them to drop off. The ball’s sent wide right for Kane, who has nobody in the middle to cross to. A bright enough start by both teams.
2 min: A crackle of anticipation as Mbappe touches the ball for the first time. He nips past Walker without too much problem, but then runs into traffic and is forced to turn tail. “Plenty of hostages to fortune in that reference to Casablanca,” begins Charles Antaki. “Round up the usual suspects if England lose; of all the multi-million-pound stadia in autocratic regimes in the world; and of course, Play it again Sam (Allardyce).”
Updated
England take the knee … then the world champions get the ball rolling. A belting atmosphere!
The teams are out. The 1966 champions England are in white; the 1998 and 2018 winners France sport blue. Time for some music. England’s anthem … well, it is what it is. La Marseillaise is magnifique. We’ll be off once all the pre-match folderol has been completed.
Pre-match postbag. “Do you think it’s wise that Southgate named an unchanged team from the last England game? It was probably the best performance by the Three Lions under his management, but Senegal and France pose very different problems. As it looks to me, he’s making the risky bet that his forwards will outscore Deschamps’ ” – Kári Tulinius
“I fear that England will uphold the time-honoured tradition of going out on penalties” – Jim Fullton
“Neymar and Ronaldo going home. Mbappe will be going later today” – Jeff Sachs
“There is a German proverb that goes Keine Drei, Ohne Zwei - No Three, Without Two - which means that anything that happens three times has already happened twice. Sorry, where was I going with this?” – Billy Ditchburn
“Is Andrew Benton – he of the ‘when I go out they scored two goals’ England-Senegal MBM fame – going to the Co-op???” – Jo Gray
It’s back! It’s better than ever! It’s PENNANT WATCH! It’s hard to say who’s put in the least effort here. We’ve long established the will-this-do-esque nature of England’s abomination, which surely only appeals to those who like mild cheddar and weak milky tea …
… but France’s isn’t a whole lot more interesting. Bof.
Look what you can achieve when you put in the hard yards! See? An eye-catching delight. The FA and FFF should hang their heads and take notes from the FPF’s dutiful approach to their work. Admittedly unlike the Portuguese, the FA and FFF still have teams representing them in the competition, but let’s not make results the be-all and end-all of football.
Updated
Gareth Southgate talks to ITV, and is asked whether naming an unchanged side was an easy decision. “No. It’s never simple. We’ve got strength in depth and you’re always thinking about the opponent as well. But we’ve been on a good path and I think we needed to stay on that track. Our midfield have been really important, and you can lose a player in there with some back-three systems. We feel we’ve got to get pressure on France and try to cut the supply, and we’ll get an extra player further up the pitch. We need men on the pitch. These big nights, you have to stand up, you have to go to the depths to get a result. We’re playing well, we’ve got confidence. This will be a huge test of that but it’s great to be coming into the game feeling the way we do. These nights are those when everyone remembers where they are, and we hope we can give everyone at home another brilliant evening to remember.”
England name the same XI that started the 3-0 win over Senegal. Jordan Pickford wins his 50th cap. Raheem Sterling is back on the bench, having briefly returned to England following a burglary at his home.
Defending champions France also name an unchanged side after easing past Poland 3-1. Goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris wins his 143rd cap, breaking France’s all-time record for appearances. He previously (and briefly) shared the record with Lilian Thuram (142).
Updated
The teams
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Henderson, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Kane, Foden.
Subs: Grealish, Sterling, Rashford, Trippier, Pope, Phillips, Dier, Coady, Alexander-Arnold, Mount, Ramsdale, Wilson, Maddison, Gallagher.
France: Lloris, Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe, Giroud.
Subs: Pavard, Disasi, Guendouzi, Muani, Fofana, Veretout, Mandanda, Saliba, Coman, Areola, Konate, Camavinga, Thuram.
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil).
That third-time-lucky rule favouring France, then. Alexandre writes: “Funnily enough, a somewhat similar French proverb is ‘jamais deux sans trois’ (never twice without thrice). In other words, something having happened twice will happen a third time. The proverbs are turning against their own countries!” Now I don’t know what to think. All we know for sure is that one pithy saying will become seriously compromised tonight.
Some happier news. Our man Jason Rodrigues was cycling through London and spotted some Morocco fans reacting much as you’d expect to their epochal win over Portugal. Click below for good vibes.
Morocco fans spill out of a cafe in London’s Bethnal Green as final whistle blows #Worldcup #MORPOR #WorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/qHGszxjeTL
— Jason Rodrigues (@RodriguesJasonL) December 10, 2022
A touching tribute to Grant Wahl. Flowers have been placed in the press box in memory of the much-loved US sportswriter, who passed away at the Argentina-Netherlands match last night. Condolences to his friends and family.
We now know who England or France will face in the semi-final. Morocco have spent the last couple of hours holding Portugal at arm’s length, winning 1-0 and deservedly becoming the first African nation to make it to the last four. Walid Regragui’s groundbreaking side could have had more than Youssef En-Nesyri’s winning goal today as well. I’d hazard a guess that Gareth Southgate and Didier Deschamps, given the choice of prospective semi-final opponents, would both have plumped for Morocco … but good luck breaching that defence, and there’s plenty of counter-attacking flair in there too. So here’s the semi-final line-up as it stands …
Tue 13: Argentina v Croatia (7pm GMT, Lusail Iconic Stadium)
Wed 14: England/France v Morocco (7pm GMT, Al Bayt Stadium)
Feelings of anticipation and excitement mixed with very real fear? They’re perfectly natural. Go with them.
Preamble
England play France tonight for only the third time at a World Cup finals. The good news: they’ve won both previous meetings, Roger Hunt’s two goals enough at Wembley in 1966; Bryan Robson scoring after 27 seconds to spark a 3-1 win at España 82. The bad news: France go into this match with both Kylian Mbappé and the third-time-lucky rule on their side. Kick off is at 7pm GMT, 10pm at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. يحدث! It’s on!
