Less than 30 hours separate football fans from the kickoff of the first semi-final match between Spain and France alongside England vs Argentina the following day. As one of the most awaited showdowns, it will heavily determine who takes the young player award with him.
Among those key players who played a massive role in helping their national teams to reach the semi-final, are Pau Cubarsi, Nico O’Reilly, Desire Doue, and Lamine Yamal.
Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
Barcelona’s 19-year-old center-back marked his first World Cup appearance with a great performance. He has been a key player for a Spanish defence that has conceded just one goal in nearly 600 minutes of play, showcasing the player’s strength and stability alongside his teammates.
Nico O’Reilly (England)
Manchester City’s youngster showed an impressive display, proving himself among the biggest players. This has made Tuchel rely on him in the starting lineup as a left-back in five of England’s six matches, Nico is now ahead of a massive challenge against Messi’s Argentina where he is expected to be in top form just as he was in the recent matches.
Desire Doue (France)
Despite being surrounded by a constellation of stars such as Mbappe and Dembele, the young Psg player has managed to put on a remarkable performance in this tournament. He scored his first-ever World Cup goal against Norway in the final match of the group stage, and carried his great performance forward by providing an assist against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Yamal, who turned 19 years old today, suffered an injury before the World Cup that kept him out of the opening match. Despite this obstacle, he has made more World Cup appearances than any player aged 18 or under in the competition’s history. Yamal has scored 1 goal and earned the Player of the Match award twice, making his journey even more special.
Football fans are eagerly excited for these two showdowns to watch these players’ performances and find out which final two teams will battle for the trophy.
