There are various club rivals who are set to face each other this midweek, after standing out with their performances in the quarter-finals.
The 2026 World Cup has reached its most exciting stage, as four teams are left to compete for the much-coveted trophy. As Spain are set to face France and England take on Argentina in the semi-finals of the competition, several LALIGA EA SPORTS stars are expected to steal the limelight after shining in the previous round. Here’s a look at the match-ups which could dominate the narrative in the upcoming clashes. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
France vs Spain
Fresh off a man-of-the-match outing against Morocco, Kylian Mbappé will face some familiar faces on Tuesday. No player has scored more goals than the Real Madrid forward (eight) so far, with Mbappé having netted in five of his team’s six games. The only match in which he didn’t manage to get his name on the scoresheet saw Mbappé record two of his three assists in the tournament, as France defeated Norway 4-1 in their last game of the group stage.
Yet, this time he will be called upon to face one of the finest defences of the tournament, as Spain have conceded just once, with the likes of Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella, FC Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí and Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte forming a solid backline in front of Los Leones goalkeeper Unai Simón.
Meanwhile, France will hope to contain one of the most talented players around in Lamine Yamal, who earned MVP honours in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals. Featuring at right-back, Jules Koundé may not be the France player assigned with the task of neutralising his FC Barcelona teammate, but he is likely to face Álex Baena, who has recorded a goal and one assist thus far. The Atlético de Madrid midfielder could start again on the left flank, with FC Barcelona star Dani Olmo featuring behind Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal, who is Spain’s top scorer in the tournament with four goals.
England vs Argentina
England’s 2-1 win over Norway along with Argentina’s 3-1 victory against Switzerland have set up a historic meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday. LALIGA EA SPORTS stamped its mark on both games by producing both MVPs, as Jude Bellingham helped The Three Lions turn the game around a few hours before Julián Álvarez rescued La Albiceleste.
No midfielder has netted more World Cup goals than the Real Madrid star (five), who has bagged two straight braces, leading England to the semi-finals. The first came against Mexico, with Bellingham scoring twice in a space of less than two minutes before the break as his team secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Estadio Azteca. A few days later, he came to the fore again, as Norway took the lead through Andreas Schjelderup, but Bellingham equalised before the break and scored a second three minutes into extra time to complete the comeback for The Three Lions.
The last semi-final spot was decided a few hours later, as Argentine locked horns with Switzerland in Kansas City. Dan Ndoye cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister’s opener, sending the game to extra time. Eight minutes was all that separated the two teams from a penalty shootout, when Álvarez stepped up for Argentina. The Atlético de Madrid forward pulled off a stunning curler from outside the box and into the top far corner, sealing qualification to the semi-finals.
Álvarez is not expected to be the only Atleti player to start the upcoming clash, as Nahuel Molina has featured from the off in each of Argentina’s three knockout games. At some stage during the game, the 28-year-old right-back could be called upon to face FC Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford, who is expected to be an option for Thomas Tuchel’s side off the bench. Meanwhile, Atlético de Madrid playmaker Thiago Almada and Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso provide Lionel Scaloni with extra substitute options during Wednesday’s duel in Atlanta.
