Spain Dismantle France to Reach World Cup Final

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Brilliant buildup play has often withered but control and flawless execution overcame France’s more variable chaos

When the World Cup came to North America, with its final held in the planet’s biggest media market, the tournament was bound to fixate on stars.

Fox’s coverage certainly enables that bias. Every game is billed like a boxing bout between two über-talented footballers rather than 22 players figuring things out across 90 minutes. One semi-final has been distilled down to MESSI v KANE (or MESSI v BELLINGHAM, depending on the broadcaster). The other leaned heavily on hope that Lamine Yamal’s hamstring would finally be at 100% after his April injury. MBAPPÉ v 600 PASSES PER GAME isn’t so snappy.

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