World Cup Explained: Meet the Semifinalists and All the Big Drama

The Quarterfinals: Who Made It?

In a big tournament like the World Cup, the "quarterfinals" are the games that decide which 4 teams get to go to the "semifinals" (the final four). Yesterday, we saw two really exciting games:

• England vs Norway: England won! The biggest star was Jude Bellingham (who is just 23 years old). He is like a superhero who doesn’t stay in one spot—he is everywhere on the field! He scored two goals to help his team beat Norway (which is led by famous striker Erling Haaland).
• Argentina vs Switzerland: Argentina also won. Their star Julián Alvarez scored a super amazing goal in "extra time" (bonus playing time when the score is tied). A controversial video review (explained later) also helped them sneak through.

[!IMPORTANT]
The World Cup finishes next week! With these wins, we now know all four teams in the semifinals. There are no games until Tuesday, so let’s meet the teams and catch up on the drama.

The Main Thing: Meet the Semifinalists

Even though there were some surprise stories earlier, the four best-ranked teams in the world made it to the final four. Here is a simple breakdown:

England: The "Scrappy" Favorites

• England started the tournament well (they beat Croatia 4-2), but since then, fans have felt a bit nervous watching them. They have "scraped" by (won in messy ways).
• They rely on two super players: Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Both have scored 6 goals each! Without them, England would have gone home early.
• Kane is a "pure goalscorer" (he just scores!), while Bellingham adds toughness and "bite" that makes England hard to beat.
• England wants to win their first World Cup since 1966. The last time they were in a semifinal (2018), they lost to Croatia.

Argentina: The Defending Champions

• Like England, Argentina hasn’t played beautifully, but they know how to "win ugly."
• Normally they rely on Lionel Messi, but in the last game, Alvarez was the hero.
• They have scored the most goals in the tournament (17!).
• Many players won the cup in 2022, so they have experience. Their game against England on Wednesday should be full of fireworks!

France vs Spain (Playing Tuesday)

• France: Many people think they are the best team. They have Kylian Mbappé, who is super fast and great. His friends like Ousmane Dembélé help him. Their coach, Didier Deschamps, is leaving after the tournament, so they want to win him a medal like they did in 2018.
• Spain: They are expected to do well but haven’t been perfect. Teenage star Lamine Yamal hasn’t played his best (maybe because of an injury). But their defense is strong—they only let in 1 goal all tournament!
• Fun fact: Spain beat France in a big game in 2024, so they might do it again. Whoever wins will likely be the favorite for the final on July 19.

The USA’s Soccer System: Pay-to-Play

A writer named Hannah Keyser wrote a story following a family—Meliesha and Makenna Johnson—through the world of expensive kids’ soccer in the USA. Since the USA team lost early (in the Round of 16), people are asking why.

• In the USA, young kids often have to pay money to play soccer on good teams.
• Parents say they spend thousands of dollars every year. Some clubs charge $3,500 just for 9-year-olds in rich areas!
• Kids are pushed to choose early: either a "participation pathway" (just for fun) or a "performance pathway" (serious). If they choose serious, families feel they must spend even more money to keep up. It’s a "fear of missing out" that hurts kids who just want to play.

Controversy: The Confusing Red Card

Swiss coach Murat Yakin was very angry. He said: “We were punished because of a rule that in my opinion is completely unacceptable.”

Here is what happened, step-by-step:

1. Swiss player Breel Embolo already had a yellow card (a warning).
2. Later, he fell down near Argentine player Leandro Paredes. The referee gave Paredes a yellow card.
3. The VAR (Video Assistant Referee—a video helper for the ref) looked at the replay.
4. The video showed Embolo kinda threw himself down (a "dive").
5. A new rule let the referee take back Paredes’ card and give it to Embolo instead.
6. Because Embolo already had a yellow, the second one meant he was sent off (kicked out of the game). This made it easier for Argentina to win.

[!IMPORTANT]
A "yellow card" is a warning. If you get two, you get a "red card" and have to leave the game, leaving your team with fewer players!

Sad News: Jayden Adams

Very sadly, South Africa’s player Jayden Adams (25 years old) passed away. He had played in all three of his team’s first games just weeks before.

History Made: USA vs Belgium Viewers

The game where USA played Belgium (and lost 4-1) was the most-watched soccer game in US TV history according to FIFA!

• 46 million people watched together!
• The FOX channel had 33.1 million viewers (peaking at 41 million).
• The Telemundo channel (Spanish) had 12.9 million.
• People hope this means soccer is becoming super popular in the USA.

Tuchel vs Bellingham: A Healthy Spat?

After England beat Norway, the coach Thomas Tuchel was not happy. He said the team had good "work ethic and mentality" but lacked quality on the ball. He said: “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.”

But star player Jude Bellingham (who scored the two goals) talked back nicely! He said: “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions… We’ve tried to create a positive environment, and we should continue that going into the final four.”

The article’s author thinks this is actually good! When players and coaches are honest and confident (in a focused way), it can help them win. England hasn’t had such strong personalities in a long time, and that "ego" might be the difference.

Summary

The World Cup is almost over, and the final four teams are England, Argentina, France, and Spain. England and Argentina had tough quarterfinal wins, relying on stars like Bellingham and Alvarez. France and Spain will play next. We also learned about the expensive kids’ soccer system in the USA, a sad passing of a player, a record TV audience, some referee controversy, and a frank chat between England’s coach and star. Get ready for an exciting semifinal week!

FAQ

1. What does "VAR" mean in soccer?
VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee. It’s like a helper who watches the game on TV and tells the main referee if they made a mistake, using video replays.

2. Which teams are in the World Cup semifinals?
The four teams are England, Argentina, France, and Spain. They are the four highest-ranked teams in the world.

3. Why are people upset about the Switzerland vs Argentina game?
Swiss player Embolo was sent off (kicked out) because of a new rule about "mistaken identity." The video review changed the referee’s mind, giving Embolo a second yellow card, which many thought was unfair.

4. Why is kids’ soccer in the USA a problem?
It costs a lot of money (sometimes thousands per year) for kids to play on competitive teams. This "pay-to-play" system might stop talented kids from poor families from becoming stars.

5. When is the World Cup final?
The final is on July 19. The winner of the France/Spain game will likely be the favorite to win it all.