And then there were four. The World Cup is drawing to an end and we now know who made the semi-finals, with four sides still in the hunt to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy on 19 July. These are France and Spain, who face off on 14 July, plus England and Argentina, who play the following day. Two great games featuring the four highest-ranked FIFA sides and also featuring many blaugranes, setting two records at this stage of the tournament.

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10 semi-finalists, more than ever and anyone else

This edition features the highest number of blaugrana players ever, with no fewer than 10. Eight are in the Spain squad (Joan Garcia, Cubarsí, Eric, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran and Lamine Yamal), plus there is Jules Kounde with France, and new signing Anthony Gordon with England.

This total surpasses the eight in 2010 with Spain and a second time with eight in the 2018 semi-finals, when Umtiti and Dembélé were with France, Vermaelen was with Belgium and Rakitic was with Croatia. The 10 blaugranes culers still in the current tournament means Barça are the most strongly represented team.

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The next most represented team are Atlético Madrid, who have five Argentinians (Nahuel Molina, Julián Álvarez, Almada, Giuliano and Musso), plus four from Spain (Pubill, Grimaldo, Baena and Llorente), totalling nine, with Arsenal close behind on eight, comprising one from France (Saliba), three from Spain (Merino, Zubimendi and Raya), and four from England (Rice, Saka, Madueke and Eze).

Força Barça