Behind France’s relentless attack is a 24-year-old conductor with dreadlocks and instincts that seem borrowed from another era. Behind Spain’s impenetrable defense is a 19-year-old with the patience of a man twice his age. The France v Spain semi-final in Dallas is many things at once: a tactical chess match, a clash of European giants, a game that deserves to be a final. Above all, it is a window into the future of football.
Some of these players are already superstars. Kylian Mbappe is only 26 years old, he is not yet at his peak. But the names beyond Mbappe are likely to be the players Messi and Ronaldo, Modric and De Bruyne who could fill the big spots will eventually move on.
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Michael Ollis is the backbone of France’s machine. Before this World Cup, he was mainly known among European football devotees. Now he is unmistakable, a playmaker with equal parts intuition and intelligence, running the French show with his passing, movement and energy. He’s a joy to watch in full flight, all snake-lemons and graceful touches, a man who seems to have more time on the ball than physics. He uses that time to play games to his liking.
Ollis has run the French show in this World Cup edition with his passing, movement and energy. (AP Photo)
His path here was not straight. His father, Vincent, grew up playing cricket in Nigeria before moving to London and building a life in the corporate world. Football was never the plan. Yet it became young Michael’s fixation, and Vincent would joke that it came entirely from his mother’s side. She is French-Algerian, which qualified Olis to represent the four nations. He chose France because his idols were French, Zinedine Zidane above all. Since then, accolades have poured in. “People look at dribbling, tricks and temperament,” Zidane said on Canal Plus, “but what impresses me the most is his understanding of the game. He knows when to slow down, when to speed up and when to deliver the final pass.”
The players around Aulis only raise the alarm for France’s rivals. Desiree Dew, operating on the left side of Allis, has explosive pace, immaculate control and the kind of versatility that has managers debating where to deploy him. Bradley Barcola, just 23, provides equal electricity from the other flank. Didier Deschamps has the happiest headache of all managers, as the French cupboard overflows. 22-year-old Ryan Cherky, an exceptional talent, played just 61 minutes and 20-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery had to wait until the final moments of the Morocco quarter-final to make his World Cup debut. Midfielder Manu Kone and centre-back Jean-Claire Todibo, two of the tournament’s most assured performers, are both 25. “They could be a dynastic team,” Thierry Henry said. It’s hard to argue.
Spain offers a parallel vision. Lamine Yamal recently turned 19 and is already being talked about as the player to carry Messi’s torch. He has more club goals and assists than Messi or Ronaldo at his age and is the most purely entertaining player in the competition. His left leg bends in his imagination.
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Spain’s Pau Qubarsi (22) clears the ball on Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (9) during the World Cup quarter-final between Spain and Belgium. (AP Photo/Marcio J. Sanchez)
On the flanks, Nico Williams and Alex Bayana, both 24, offer different but complementary threats. Williams, still working his way back from injury and limited to cameos, can be as devastating as Yamal on his day. Bayana is less agile but crafty, a right-footed hammer that opponents underestimate to their cost.
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If Yamal is Spain’s figurehead, Pedri and Pau Qubarsi form the nucleus. Pedri, 23, is the metronome. He sees passing lanes even in tight spaces, rarely loses the ball and has the rare gift of spreading time around him. Xavi, who coached him at Barcelona, once said simply: “Pedri has no ceiling.” His best football is improvised art, a throwback to Spain’s tiki-taka heyday. The Spanish midfield is so deep that 21-year-old Gavi, world-class in his own right, barely features.
And then there’s Qubarsi, who anchors a broken defense just once in this tournament. At 19, he plays with the authority of a seasoned veteran. Only Paolo Maldini had more clean sheets in World Cups at the same age. “He doesn’t look like he’s 19,” goalkeeper Unai Simon said. “The way he takes responsibility is enviable.” Xavi put it more simply: “My heart doesn’t change when I see him.”
Dallas can’t come soon enough.