France - Spain: a semifinal that smells like a final

Tonight in Arlington, Texas, the first World Cup semifinal is played - France against Spain, a duel that could just as easily have been the final. The French have gone six matches unbeaten and beat Morocco 2:0 in the quarterfinal, and now they are chasing something only two national teams have ever managed - a third straight World Cup final. Mbappé, the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, is once again their sharpest weapon. Spain, meanwhile, reached the semifinal through drama - a Merino goal in the 88th minute for 2:1 against Belgium. The tournament doesn't weigh on the 19-year-old Yamal one bit: „This is the biggest match of my career, but I don't feel a shred of nerves." France are the favourites, but when the European champion says he fears no one, it's worth listening.

Argentina - England: the second semifinal with an American referee

On Wednesday in Atlanta the second semifinal is played - Argentina against England. The English reached the last four after extra time and 2:1 against Norway, and their biggest sigh of relief is called Declan Rice: the centre-half lay in bed for almost three days with food poisoning before the quarterfinal, but is now nearly ready to play. It's interesting who will dispense justice - for a match of this calibre, FIFA appointed an American referee, Ismail Elfath. The Argentines, true to the Balkan-Latin blend of superstition and calculation, even sent a special request to FIFA before the duel. When a title is at stake, nothing is left to chance - not even the order of the prayers.

Liverpool with a new manager and an old problem: too few players

While the World Cup steals the attention, the clubs are already cutting new stories. A new man has taken the bench at Anfield, and Andoni Iraola told the truth without dressing it up at his very first press conference - the team needs reinforcements, and fast. It's rare for a manager to admit out loud that the squad isn't good enough before the season even starts; usually you wait to lose a match and only then go looking for an excuse. The question is whether the board will open the purse or whether Iraola will meet the opening with the same squad that showed where its limits were last season.

Vardar with three percent - and one old Balkan hope

While the world's elite fight for a trophy, at home Vardar fight for a miracle. The red-and-blacks travel tonight to Finnish champions KuPS in Champions League qualifying, and the numbers are brutal: by the projections, Vardar have only a three percent chance of going through to the next round - the lowest of all the teams in this round. Coach Kristijan Fabijani wants organisation, fight and discipline, and appeals for a change of mentality. KuPS lead in Finland and are especially strong at home. To even hope, Vardar must score at least two goals. Three percent isn't zero - but for it to become something more, it takes a night that rarely comes.

Dario Šimić arrested: when a legend meets the police

And one story from the neighbourhood that is a reminder that fame is no shield. In a large police operation in Croatia, former international Dario Šimić has been arrested, a man who played exactly 100 matches for Croatia and left his mark in the shirts of Dinamo, Inter, Milan and Monaco. The suspicion is that, through a former official from the Šibenik-Knin county, he unlawfully obtained permits to build a camp. That same official had already been detained before for similar affairs. Neither a hundred caps for the national team nor trophies in Milan mean much when the police knock at the door - and that's a message that on the Balkans is understood without translation.