Continuation of 20-Year Cycle?
The two upcoming semifinal matches at the 2018 World Cup present a unique phenomenon: The meetings will see two former world champions, France and England, each square off against a squad that has yet to win a World Cup, Croatia or Belgium.
Belgium\'s team players take part in a training session of Belgium\'s national football team at the Guchkovo Stadium in Dedovsk, outside Moscow, on July 8, 2018, ahead of their Russia 2018 World Cup semi-final football match against France.
The two upcoming semifinal matches at the 2018 World Cup present a unique phenomenon: The meetings will see two former world champions, France and England, each square off against a squad that has yet to win a World Cup, Croatia or Belgium. France, the 1998 champion, will face Belgium, while 1966 champion England will face Croatia.
All four teams will want to win the World Cup, for millions of reasons. Croatia? They wish to repeat their success of reaching the semifinals in the 1998 World Cup. At the time, Croatia’s first golden generation of football players, including Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker, defeated Germany 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Croatia’s journey ended in the semifinals, when host France defeated them and later won the World Cup.