France Looks Inevitable
Mbappé takes the Golden Boot lead, Spain tries to keep its historic clean sheet alive, and the World Cup is just nine days from ending in our backyard.
France is starting to look less like a soccer team and more like the movie villain everyone knows is making it to the final scene.
The scary part? They haven’t even looked stressed yet.
France Is Back... Again
France punched the first ticket to the World Cup semifinals Thursday with a 2-0 win over Morocco at Gillette Stadium.
The score almost flatters Morocco.
Les Bleus dominated from the opening whistle, finishing with a 21-4 advantage in shots and 8-1 on target. This wasn’t a heavyweight fight—it was 90 minutes of controlled possession, relentless pressure, and the occasional reminder that France simply has another gear.
Kylian Mbappé even missed a first-half penalty.
Then he remembered he was Kylian Mbappé.
His 60th-minute strike was the 20th World Cup goal of his career—in exactly 20 matches—moving him within one of Lionel Messi’s all-time tournament record. Ousmane Dembélé added another six minutes later to seal it.
France is now 5-for-5 in this tournament without needing extra time, making them the only remaining team that hasn’t been pushed beyond regulation.
Even stranger?
They beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Same opponent.
Same score.
Just one round earlier this time.
When history starts copying and pasting itself, tournament fans tend to call it destiny.
🥊 The Golden Boot Has a New Leader
Thursday didn’t just send France through.
It reshuffled the race for the tournament’s top scorer.
Mbappé now edges Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot.
Both sit on eight goals, but Mbappé owns the tiebreaker thanks to three assists compared to Messi’s one.
And because this tournament apparently enjoys good storytelling...
Both superstars missed penalties on the very same day.
Mbappé’s attempt was delayed nearly three minutes after a lengthy VAR review, prompting Norway’s Erling Haaland to post on Snapchat that nobody should have to wait five minutes before taking a penalty.
Fair point.
Especially considering Haaland gets his chance to climb right back into the Golden Boot race tomorrow.
⚡ Spain’s Wall Meets Belgium’s Last Dance
Today’s quarterfinal might be the best matchup of the tournament.
Spain vs. Belgium.
Winner gets France.
Spain has quietly become the tournament’s defensive masterpiece.
They haven’t conceded a single goal through five matches, and goalkeeper Unai Simón has stretched his shutout streak to a remarkable 609 consecutive minutes.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal continues playing like someone who completely forgot he’s supposed to be 18.
Belgium enters with an entirely different storyline.
This feels like one final run for the nation’s golden generation.
Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois know opportunities like this don’t come around forever. Young stars Charles De Ketelaere and Jérémy Doku have added fresh life during the knockout rounds, but losing midfielder Amadou Onana to a ruptured ACL leaves a massive hole.
And there’s one more uncomfortable stat.
Belgium has lost five straight matches against France.
Win today...
...and that’s exactly who’s waiting.
Talk about earning your reward the hard way.
🗽 The Weekend Is Loaded
The bracket fills out over the next 48 hours.
Saturday afternoon features perhaps the tournament’s most anticipated showdown as Erling Haaland and Norway take on England in Miami.
Norway has become everyone’s favorite surprise contender.
England, meanwhile, finally looks like a team comfortable winning outside Wembley after its statement victory at the Estadio Azteca.
Then Saturday night belongs to Lionel Messi.
Defending champion Argentina faces a fearless Switzerland side making its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance in more than seven decades.
Every remaining match suddenly feels enormous because there simply aren’t many left.
🔮 Nine Days Until the Trophy Comes Home
The semifinals head to Dallas on Tuesday and Atlanta on Wednesday.
Then everything shifts to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
That’s practically in our backyard.
A ferry ride.
A train.
And you’re at the biggest sporting event on Earth.
Messi is chasing history.
Mbappé is chasing Messi.
Haaland is trying to crash the party.
And France?
They’re starting to look like a team that already knows how this movie ends.
Clear your schedule.
The final chapter is almost here.
— The Bandicoots ⚽🏆