How the Ending of this World Cup can Change Football Forever

Football fans, brace yourselves because we are watching history unfold in real time. For the first time ever since FIFA rankings existed, the top four ranked teams in the world have all made it to the World Cup semi-finals. France against Spain, England against Argentina. And get this, it's only the third World Cup in history where all four semi-finalists have won the trophy before. Four teams, four completely different endings. Whoever lifts that trophy on the 19th of July doesn't just win a World Cup, they rewrite football forever. Let me show you exactly what I mean. Hey fam, this is your chance to build the jersey collection you've been waiting for. The Goal 90 bundle deal is live. Buy two jerseys and get 10% off. Buy three and get 15% off. Buy four and get a massive 25% off. Club kits, country kits, retro classics, pick your favorites and save big. And yes, every order comes with free worldwide shipping. The deal runs only until the end of May. Goal 90 bundle deal. Buy more, save more. Shop now at goal90shop. We'll start with Spain. You see, if Spain win this thing, they complete the double every nation dreams about. European champions and world champions at the same time. Their second star 16 years after South Africa 2010. But that's not even the juicy part. Lamine Yamal turns 19 on the 13th of July. The very next day, Spain play France in the semi-final. Now remember, this kid won the Euros the day after his 17th birthday, breaking a record for the youngest winner of a major international trophy that belonged to Pelé. So just imagine it, a World Cup in his hands days after turning 19. Euros at 17, World Cup at 19. And here's the funny thing, by his crazy standards, Yamal has actually been quiet. One goal, no assists. But he's still completed more dribbles than any player at this World Cup. He was man of the match in the quarter final against Belgium, and he's already racked up more World Cup appearances than any player before they turned 19. That's how high the bar is for this kid. His quiet tournament still breaks records. Oh, and Spain themselves, an absolute machine. They stumbled out of the gate with a goalless draw against tiny Cape Verde. And since then, they've barely put a foot wrong. That win over Belgium was their 36th game unbeaten, one short of Italy's all-time world record. So if Spain lift the trophy, they'd equal the longest unbeaten run football has ever seen along the way. And the beauty of this team is that anyone can hurt you. Michael Oyarzabal leads their scoring charts, and Mikel Mourinho keeps popping up with late winners, including the stoppage time dagger that sent Cristiano Ronaldo home from his final ever World Cup. Brutal, isn't it? But if you think Spain's ending is special, wait until you hear France's. Because if France win, Mbappé walks straight into the greatest of all-time conversation, whether people like it or not. Just look at what this man is doing. He won the World Cup at 19. He scored a hat-trick in the final he lost in 2022. And now he's one game away from a third consecutive World Cup final. Who does that? He's sitting on 20 World Cup goals, one single goal behind Messi's all-time record, having played 12 games less. He already owns the record for most World Cup knockout goals in history, with 12. He's the youngest player ever to reach 20 World Cup appearances. He and Messi both have eight goals at this tournament, locked together for the golden boot. The general is chasing down the legend from Rosario goal for goal at the same World Cup. You And France aren't a one-man show either. Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, has five goals himself, the first time two Frenchmen have scored five each at one World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo did it for Brazil back in 2002. Michael Alise has five assists, one away from a record Pelé has held since 1970. And spare a thought for the old man on the bench. This is Didier Deschamps' final tournament as France manager, and he's already coached his 25th World Cup match, equalling a record that stood for Germany's Helmut Schoen for half a century. France are in a third consecutive semi-final, something only Germany and Brazil had ever managed. If Deschamps wins it, he becomes only the second manager in the history of football to win the World Cup twice. The first, an Italian called Vittorio Pozzo back in the 1930s. Imagine walking away from your job with that. Now let's talk about England. And guys, you already know the number. 60 years, 1966, one World Cup, one major trophy. That's the entire list. Since then, it's been heartbreak, penalties and more heartbreak. This is only England's fourth semi-final since they first entered the World Cup in 1950. But something about this team feels different. Their four straight wins are England's longest World Cup run since 1966 itself, and Thomas Tuchel has gone unbeaten in his first six World Cup games, matching a record set by Sir Alf Ramsey, the man who won the whole thing. Even Jordan Pickford just passed Peter Shilton as England's most capped World Cup goalkeeper. The omens are everywhere. But honestly, it comes down to two men. Jude Bellingham is having the knockout rounds of his life. A brace at the Azteca to sink Mexico. Then another brace to knock out Erling Haaland's Norway. And here's the stat that should give you goosebumps. The last player to score braces in back-to-back World Cup knockout games was Diego Maradona in 1986. The only player to do it younger than Bellingham? Pelé. That's the company this man is keeping right now. Then there's the captain. Harry Kane is leading England at a third World Cup, something only Billy Wright had ever done. And he's long since blown past Gary Lineker as England's all-time top World Cup scorer. Kane and Bellingham are both on six goals, the first England pair in history to score five or more each at a major tournament. And between you and me, if England win this and one of them takes the golden boot, don't be surprised if the Ballon d'Or chat starts immediately. But here's my favorite part of this whole story. England's manager, Thomas Tuchel, is German. And no foreign manager has ever won a men's World Cup. So 60 years of hurt, possibly ended by a German coach. Football really does have a sense of humor. Which brings us finally to the ending half the planet is praying for. Argentina. If Argentina win on the 19th, they become back-to-back world champions. Do you know how long it's been since anyone did that? Brazil. 1958 and 1962. Over 60 years. This is Argentina's sixth straight World Cup semi-final. 17 of these players were there in Qatar. And they are the kings of the long night. No team in World Cup history has played more extra-time matches, and they win almost all of them. But let's not kid ourselves. This is about one man. Lionel Messi. 39 years old. He opened this tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria on his 200th cap. He's the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 21 goals. He's scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches. He's the first player ever to score in six straight knockout games. And he holds the all-time World Cup assist record with nine. If Messi lifts this trophy and rides off into the sunset as a back-to-back champion, the GOAT debate is finished. Closed. Done. But, and you know we keep it honest on this channel, there's a small asterisk floating around. Argentina have had opponents' goals ruled out by VAR more than once this tournament. Egypt's federation actually filed a formal protest about the officiating after that comeback. Switzerland weren't happy in the quarter-final either. Now, none of that is proof of anything. But if Argentina win it all, a chunk of the football world will always whisper about it. Immortality with a footnote. So, there you have it. Four teams and four endings that each change football forever. A teenage double not even Pele managed. Mbappe crashing the GOAT debate. 60 years of hurt washed away by a German. Or Messi walking away as a back-to-back champion at 39. Here's the beautiful cruel part. Two of these stories die this week. A third dies in the final. Only one ending gets written. So tell me, which ending do you want? And which one do you think actually happens? Drop it in the comments. I will read every single one. Smash that like button, hit subscribe and ring the bell. Because whatever happens on the 19th, we'll be breaking it all down right here. Catch you in the next one.