A retrospective of past tournaments recalls how Ronaldo Nazário used an unusual haircut before Brazil’s 2002 semifinal against Turkey to divert attention from a groin problem. He scored in that match, then struck twice in the final against Germany, finishing the tournament with eight goals.
Garrincha offered an even stranger semifinal story in 1962. With Pelé injured, he scored twice and created another goal against Chile, was sent off after reacting to repeated fouls and was hit by a bottle while leaving the field. Brazil appealed the suspension, allowing him to play in the final.
In 1938, Giuseppe Meazza reportedly took a semifinal penalty against Brazil while holding up his shorts after the elastic broke. He scored, and Italy went on to win the tournament.
Lilian Thuram made a costly mistake before Croatia opened the scoring in the 1998 semifinal. He responded with both French goals, completing a turnaround that defined his international career. The report notes that those remained his only goals for France.
At the 2006 semifinal, Fabio Cannavaro produced a decisive late defensive action before Alessandro Del Piero finished the move. His performance helped cement his reputation as the “Muro di Berlino”.
Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi give the two semifinals obvious headline appeal. Yet the archive points to a sharper lesson: a team must manage disruption as well as possession, pressure and finishing.
The next chapter begins when France face Spain and England meet Argentina. The storyline to watch is not only who controls the match, but who responds best when the game produces its first mistake, injury scare or moment of chaos.