French system shapes success of Les Bleus’ African talentSons of immigrants in national team are products of France — in ways good and badCroatia leave England’s World Cup dreams in tattersSouthgate’s team return to bad old long-ball ways on a disappointing nightFrance favourites for World Cup after victory over BelgiumSamuel Umtiti header sets up final clash against Croatia or EnglandSouthgate’s England marry Leave and Remain to winning effectWorld Cup semi-finalists combine best of British and continental traditionsBelgium unites briefly behind globalised Red DevilsOne of the world’s least nationalist nations finds someone worth cheering onEngland through to World Cup semi-final Suddenly the young team find themselves unstoppable in the airMore from this SeriesWhy the World Cup is bigger than Putin‘I can write about the genius of French forward Kylian Mbappé, knowing the FT is also covering Russian elite corruption’England’s biggest World Cup weapon is luckThis set of players is not significantly better than the maligned teams of the pastBelgium’s golden generation looks for way past impregnable BrazilThe Red Devils’ best team since 1986 must outwit the South Americans’ best since 2002Could spotting the difference win the World Cup?Penalty unpredictability deemed crucial to tournament success England send Colombia packing on penaltiesGareth Southgate’s team through to World Cup quarter-final with nail-biting winA prescription to ease England’s psychological burdenSouthgate must ensure his players are positive, patient and ready for penaltiesGlobalism 1, Nationalism 0The story of the World Cup so far defies nativist forces elsewhereBelgium beat England, but who’s the real winner?Victory shortens Red Devils’ odds of facing impressive Brazil in the quarter-finalsGriezmann and Kante can unlock France’s thrilling potentialBut under Deschamps, Les Bleus have so far played sterile footballReigning champions Germany laid low by a foot in the pastDisastrous result proves no one can defy football’s eternal need for renewalBrazil’s new national sport: ‘Knocking Neymar’But the forward might yet prove a uniquely Brazilian saviour as his team meets SerbiaArgentina’s ‘worst team in history’ looks for the real MessiBarcelona veteran, now full of stress and flashes of anger, should rediscover the kidGermany’s ageing squad pay the price for their complacencyLöw’s team must show desire to remain in the tournament, let alone retain their crownArgentina trapped in dilemma over how to unleash playmaker MessiSouth Americans struggle to find formation that allows their matchwinner to thriveUruguay’s fighting striker Suarez finds perfect partner in CavaniGoalscorers born weeks apart in same city can propel La Celeste into second roundHarry Kane punishes Tunisia in England World Cup openerTwo goals for captain cannot hide flawed performanceEngland adopt new tactics in push for World Cup gloryManager Gareth Southgate is copying methods that have helped other European teams winFrance and les Bleus — it’s complicated‘After 1998, the relationship between Bleus and ordinary French people degenerated into a bad marriage’Spain stand in way of Ronaldo’s single-minded pursuit of gloryIberian World Cup clash pits the Portuguese captain against his Real Madrid clubmatesJourneymen footballers shoot for World Cup immortalityOpening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia gives ordinary players chance to shinePodcast: Russia prepares for the World CupHow to get the most from the World CupDo switch off Twitter, don’t make predictions: lessons from a tournament veteranWorld Cup: why millennials will transform football’s greatest eventThe way the game is experienced away from the pitch is the latest powerful example of digital disruptionHow football’s World Cup fell into the hands of autocracyAs fans flock to sport’s greatest spectacle, efforts to clean up the beautiful game have run into the sandLionel Messi v the restWill Argentina finally stop asking their superstar to win the World Cup single-handed?
French system shapes success of Les Bleus’ African talentSons of immigrants in national team are products of France — in ways good and badCroatia leave England’s World Cup dreams in tattersSouthgate’s team return to bad old long-ball ways on a disappointing nightFrance favourites for World Cup after victory over BelgiumSamuel Umtiti header sets up final clash against Croatia or EnglandSouthgate’s England marry Leave and Remain to winning effectWorld Cup semi-finalists combine best of British and continental traditionsBelgium unites briefly behind globalised Red DevilsOne of the world’s least nationalist nations finds someone worth cheering onEngland through to World Cup semi-final Suddenly the young team find themselves unstoppable in the airMore from this SeriesWhy the World Cup is bigger than Putin‘I can write about the genius of French forward Kylian Mbappé, knowing the FT is also covering Russian elite corruption’England’s biggest World Cup weapon is luckThis set of players is not significantly better than the maligned teams of the pastBelgium’s golden generation looks for way past impregnable BrazilThe Red Devils’ best team since 1986 must outwit the South Americans’ best since 2002Could spotting the difference win the World Cup?Penalty unpredictability deemed crucial to tournament success England send Colombia packing on penaltiesGareth Southgate’s team through to World Cup quarter-final with nail-biting winA prescription to ease England’s psychological burdenSouthgate must ensure his players are positive, patient and ready for penaltiesGlobalism 1, Nationalism 0The story of the World Cup so far defies nativist forces elsewhereBelgium beat England, but who’s the real winner?Victory shortens Red Devils’ odds of facing impressive Brazil in the quarter-finalsGriezmann and Kante can unlock France’s thrilling potentialBut under Deschamps, Les Bleus have so far played sterile footballReigning champions Germany laid low by a foot in the pastDisastrous result proves no one can defy football’s eternal need for renewalBrazil’s new national sport: ‘Knocking Neymar’But the forward might yet prove a uniquely Brazilian saviour as his team meets SerbiaArgentina’s ‘worst team in history’ looks for the real MessiBarcelona veteran, now full of stress and flashes of anger, should rediscover the kidGermany’s ageing squad pay the price for their complacencyLöw’s team must show desire to remain in the tournament, let alone retain their crownArgentina trapped in dilemma over how to unleash playmaker MessiSouth Americans struggle to find formation that allows their matchwinner to thriveUruguay’s fighting striker Suarez finds perfect partner in CavaniGoalscorers born weeks apart in same city can propel La Celeste into second roundHarry Kane punishes Tunisia in England World Cup openerTwo goals for captain cannot hide flawed performanceEngland adopt new tactics in push for World Cup gloryManager Gareth Southgate is copying methods that have helped other European teams winFrance and les Bleus — it’s complicated‘After 1998, the relationship between Bleus and ordinary French people degenerated into a bad marriage’Spain stand in way of Ronaldo’s single-minded pursuit of gloryIberian World Cup clash pits the Portuguese captain against his Real Madrid clubmatesJourneymen footballers shoot for World Cup immortalityOpening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia gives ordinary players chance to shinePodcast: Russia prepares for the World CupHow to get the most from the World CupDo switch off Twitter, don’t make predictions: lessons from a tournament veteranWorld Cup: why millennials will transform football’s greatest eventThe way the game is experienced away from the pitch is the latest powerful example of digital disruptionHow football’s World Cup fell into the hands of autocracyAs fans flock to sport’s greatest spectacle, efforts to clean up the beautiful game have run into the sandLionel Messi v the restWill Argentina finally stop asking their superstar to win the World Cup single-handed?