France has reached the World Cup final for the first time since 2006 with a 1-0 win over Belgium in a semifinal match that attracted presidents, royalty and a rock star.

Samuel Umtiti's header in the 51st minute was the only goal in a tense match at St. Petersburg.

France, the 1998 champions and runners-up in '06, will play either Croatia or England in Sunday's final at Moscow. England and Croatia will meet Wednesday in Moscow in the second semifinal.

France President Emmanuel Macron and King Philippe of Belgium shook hands in the VIP section before the match. Mick Jagger was also on the official list of guests.

What came first, the chicken or the goal?

Harry Kane, Dele Alli were among the England players who played a game of toss the rubber chicken at training, a day ahead of a World Cup semifinal against Croatia.

"That's exactly what I asked our fitness coaches around here," England coach Gareth Southgate said. "Our physical performance coaches try to keep refreshing the warmups of the players and keep them stimulated. Just a bit of fun to get them moving, and some of the mobility exercises."

Samuel Umtiti has headed France into a 1-0 lead against Belgium in the World Cup semifinals.

Umtiti rose brilliantly to head in Antoine Griezmann's corner from the right in the 51st minute, for his first goal of the tournament.

Striker Olivier Giroud won the corner after turning Belgian defender Vincent Kompany, forcing him to put his goal-bound shot out of play.

The winner in St. Petersburg plays Croatia or England in Sunday's final.

It's 0-0 at halftime in the World Cup semifinal despite Belgium and France going close to scoring in the first half.

With France's soccer-loving President Emmanuel Macron and Belgian King Philippe watching from the stands, France sat back and hoped to hit Belgium on the counterattack.

Belgium used the space to put France under pressure around the 20-minute mark with Eden Hazard firing a curling shot from the left that Raphael Varane headed over the bar. Hugo Lloris was twice called into action to save France.

The France goalkeeper first punched away a cross by Kevin De Bruyne aimed at Marouane Fellaini and moments later dived to his right to block a shot by Toby Alderweireld.

French teenager Kylian Mbappe's pace was a constant threat on the right and his pass in the 40thminute set up Benjamin Pavard but Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois stuck out a left leg to deflect the shot wide.

Mick Jagger is on FIFA's list of VIP guests at the World Cup semifinal between France and Belgium in St. Petersburg.

The Rolling Stones singer completed the band's world tour on Sunday in Poland.

On stage in Warsaw, Jagger fulfilled a request by former Polish president Lech Walesa by drawing attention to an authoritarian government policy to remove independent judges.

Among the political leaders joining Jagger in the crowd as official are Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ali Bongo Ondimba, the President of Gabon.

The World Cup semifinal between France and Belgium has kicked off at St. Petersburg Stadium, with France President Emmanuel Macron and King Philippe of Belgium in attendance.

France coach Didier Deschamps warmly hugged Thierry Henry moments before the start. Henry is France's all-time leading scorer with 51 goals, but is now an assistant to Belgium coach Robert Martinez. Henry also greeted players on France's bench.

The winner between France and Belgium will meet Croatia or England in Sunday's final.

France was European Championship runner-up two years ago and is aiming to reach its fourth major final this century. Les Bleus won Euro 2000 and lost the 2006 World Cup final.

Belgium is hoping to reach only the second major final, having lost the European final to West Germany in 1980. Belgium lost its only previous World Cup semifinal to an Argentina in '86.

France President Emmanuel Macron is attending the World Cup semifinal between France and Belgium at St. Petersburg Stadium. Macron shook hands with King Philippe of Belgium, who was with his wife Queen Mathilde.

Macron and King Philippe shook hands warmly and Macron patted him on the chest.

Macron is an avid soccer fan and supports southern French club Marseille.

Mexico went home from the World Cup more than a week ago, and while its fans are still scattered around Russia, some of them have lost enough interest in the matches that they're selling tickets at face value.

Several fans wearing Mexico's green jerseys approached a larger group of Belgians at a beer garden in St. Petersburg offering seats at "FIFA prices" for the World Cup semifinal. They didn't immediately find any takers among the festive Europeans, who apparently already were set for the Belgium-France match.

Mexican and South American fans came to Russia in huge numbers despite having to travel far greater distances than Europeans. They're still everywhere in the semifinal cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow even though only teams still alive are from Europe.

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has picked Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele to replace Thomas Meunier for the World Cup semifinal against France.

Martinez has been forced to reshuffle his back line after Paris Saint-Germain wing back Meunier was suspended for the match in St. Petersburg after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament in Belgium's 2-1 quarterfinal win over Brazil.

After using a four-man defence against Brazil, Martinez has reverted to a three-man backline and four-man midfield of Nacer Chadli on the left, Dembele on the right, and Marouane Fellaini and Axel Witsel in the middle.

Dembele's inclusion was the only change to the Belgium team that beat Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

France coach Didier Deschamps has recalled Blaise Matuidi in the only change to his lineup for the World Cup semifinal against Belgium at St. Petersburg Stadium.

Matuidi, who was suspended for the 2-0 quarterfinal win over Uruguay last Friday, comes into midfield to replace Corentin Tolisso.

Veteran striker Olivier Giroud hasn't scored yet in the tournament but needs one goal to move ahead of Zinedine Zidane into outright fourth spot on France's all-time list. Giroud keeps his place in a forward line featuring 19-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

The British government says motorways are expected to have one-third less traffic than normal when England takes on Croatia in the World Cup semifinals.

Highways England says traffic analysis on each of the England match days to date showed that during the games demand reduced by up to 33 per cent.

The agency said in a statement that roads were not busier than normal before or after games, "suggesting people are often choosing not to travel or to travel at completely different times."

Frank Bird, one of Highways England's emergency planning officers, says "along with the rest of the country, we'll be cheering on England! We want them to bring it home - and we want everyone on our roads to get home safely."

Thousands more England fans are expected to descend on Moscow for their first World Cup semifinal in 28 years, but there's not much sign of them yet.

The Nikolskaya street near the Kremlin, elaborately decorated with hanging lights, has been the main gathering point for fans in the Russian capital.

There were no more than a few dozen England fans there as of late Tuesday afternoon, with those singing team songs heavily outnumbered by passers-by filming them on phones.

Still, Kevin Miles of the Football Supporters Federation expects between 5,000 and 7,000 fans for Wednesday's semifinal against Croatia, but admits "a lot of people are doing it last minute, so it's very difficult to put numbers on it."

Airlines have offered extra places on flights to Moscow and some Russians have sold their tickets after their team lost to Croatia. Still, Miles says high prices "have put a lot of people off" who were thinking of travelling at short notice.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been surprised at the vest craze back home, where "Waistcoast Wednesday" is trending.

Stores have been pushing waistcoat sales as England advanced to a World Cup semifinal match against Croatia in Moscow on Wednesday, with people taken by Southgate's style of wearing a vest without his suit jacket,

Southgate says "I was not a renowned fashion icon throughout my playing career, so it's rather strange to feel that way now. But we are really proud of the support that we are receiving."

England has reached the semifinals at the World Cup for the first time since 1990, and confidence among supporters is growing that the national team will win the title for the first time since 1966.

Southgate says, "We've had the chance to make a difference. Our supporters, our country has had a long time of suffering in terms of football, and the enthusiasm they have for these players, because of the way they've — not only the way they've played, but the way they're conducted themselves, they've been brilliant ambassadors for our country, and I think everybody can see that they're proud to wear the shirt."

FOX Sports says it will be simulcasting the World Cup semifinal between France and Belgium on Silvercast's high-definition screen known as "Mega-Zilla" in New York's Times Square.

Soccer fans in the United States have watched the World Cup in Russia on big screens around the country, but this is promoted as the biggest of them all.

The "Mega-Zilla," a 78-foot-by-330-foot (24x100-meter) screen being promoted as the largest TV screen in the world, will be located between 45th and 46th Street on Broadway in Manhattan.

France and Belgium will be playing for a spot in Sunday's final in Moscow.

FIFA says players from the youth soccer team rescued from a cave in Thailand will not be able to attend the World Cup final.

The sport's world governing body says it has been informed by Thai authorities that the 12 boys and their coach "will not be in a position to travel" for health reasons.

FIFA expressed its "great joy" at the rescue and says its "priority remains the health of everyone involved in the operation."

FIFA leaders will meet with Thai soccer officials this weekend in Moscow to explore "a new opportunity" to invite the boys to a major event to celebrate their survival.

The last four of the boys and the team coach were rescued Tuesday from a flooded cave in far northern Thailand after an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks.

FIFA expressed "profound gratitude to all persons involved in the rescue operation," and condolences for the family of the diver who died.

They're getting the World Cup croissants ready in Paris.

The village of Paris just outside the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod is embracing its French links ahead of the World Cup semifinal match between France and Belgium.

The village cafe is decorated with images of the Eiffel Tower and is preparing croissants for the game, plus a Russian menu for any French guests who might happen to drop by.

Mayor Sergei Gromov says "we were supporting Russia but now it's turned out like that (that Russia was eliminated), we're going to support France and wish it success."

The village's full name is In Memory Of The Paris Commune, a reference to a socialist rebellion in 19th-century France. The name is so unwieldy most locals use Paris for short. Not everyone in Paris is pro-France, though. Villager Elena Vasilyeva says she's cheering on Belgium because "they're a real team."

The Ukraine Football Federation has offered to pay a fine imposed on a Croatia official for making a pro-Ukraine video at the World Cup.

Soccer's international governing body has fined Ognjen Vukojevic 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,150) for "unsporting behaviour" after he and Croatia defender Domagoj Vida recorded a video including the phrase "glory to Ukraine" after the team beat host nation Russia in the World Cup quarterfinals.

The video angered some Russian fans, but was welcomed in Ukraine, where both Vida and Vukojevic formerly played for the Dynamo Kyiv club. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and political tensions remain high.

UFF president Andriy Pavelko, wearing a Croatia shirt and scarf, tells Ukrainian broadcaster 112 that he and other members of the UFF management offered to pay the fine and help Vukojevic with legal costs if he wants to appeal the ruling.

The Croatia soccer federation has already removed Vukojevic from its World Cup delegation. Vida was let off with an official warning and no match sanction, leaving him available to play in Wednesday's World Cup semifinal against England.

The World Cup semifinal stage is beginning with the all-European lineup being celebrated by soccer's governing body on the continent.

Belgium and France play in St. Petersburg on Tuesday and then Croatia and England meet the following night in Moscow.

It is the fifth time the last four has featured only European teams.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says "even though some of our traditional contenders such as Germany, Spain and Portugal were eliminated, there are other teams which have surpassed expectations and can now win the title."

In a statement to The Associated Press, Ceferin added "these results validate all the work that is being done across the continent to develop football, and they also showcase the strength and quality that exists across the whole UEFA region."

By The Associated Press</s>Two nations who have been waiting years to put right the bitter memories of World Cup semi-final defeats will face each other on Thursday (AEST) in Moscow with the chance to finally go one step further.

England's last appearance at this stage was in 1990 when they lost in a penalty shootout to West Germany in Turin while eight years later, in their first World Cup as an independent nation, Croatia lost to hosts and eventual winners France.</s>ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — France is back in the World Cup final for the first time since Zinedine Zidane's headbutt in 2006.

Twelve years after one of soccer's most infamous moments, Samuel Umtiti used his head to score from a corner kick in the 51st minute and earn France a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday in the first of the all-European semifinals.

The French players danced on the field after the final whistle and shook the hand of Thierry Henry, who helped Les Bleus win the World Cup in 1998 and is now Belgium's assistant coach.

France will face either Croatia or England in the final on Sunday in Moscow. Those two teams play in the other semifinal match on Wednesday, also in Moscow.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris produced a great save in each half, denying the potent Belgian attack of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku the chance to advance the country to its first major final. Belgium reached the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup and the European Championship in 2016 but has yet to fulfil its lofty expectations.

The world now gets to see France's luxury squad, collectively valued in excess of $1 billion and headlined by teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, in another major final.

Two years ago at home, the French surprisingly lost to Portugal 1-0 in the Euro 2016 title match. In 2006, they were beaten in a penalty shootout by Italy in a World Cup final that was overshadowed by Zidane headbutting opposing player Marco Materazzi in the chest in extra time. Zidane was sent off in what was his final match.

In a tournament dominated by goals from set pieces, France's took the lead from a corner. Antoine Griezmann curled in the ball from the right and Umtiti got in front of tall Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini to knock in his header at the near post.

Up in the corporate seats, French President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the goal by shaking the hand of King Philippe of Belgium as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched on between them.

The goal capped an impressive display by Umtiti, who helped to shut out the most productive attack in the World Cup with 14 goals, and meant three defenders have now scored on France's route to the final. Benjamin Pavard and Raphael Varane scored in previous matches.

In search of the equalizer, Belgium repeatedly sent over crosses from both wings but Umtiti and Varane, both center backs, used their bodies cleverly to hold off Fellaini and Lukaku.

France coach Didier Deschamps has faced some criticism for being too pragmatic and functional despite having so many stars in his squad, but the organization of the team was superb and Belgium was largely restricted to only minor chances that were kept out by the flying Lloris.

Deschamps now has the chance to become the third person to win the World Cup as a player and a coach, after Germany great Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil's Mario Zagallo. As France captain, Deschamps won soccer's most prized trophy in 1998.</s>Moscow: Croatia defender Dejan Lovren believes his tired team are ready to seize the opportunity of a lifetime when they face England in the World Cup semi-finals in Moscow on Wednesday.

It is the first time since 1998 that the nation of just over four million people have reached this stage of the competition, after they eliminated Russia in a penalty shootout at the weekend.

Croatia play England at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow in Wednesday’s semi-final match at 11.30 pm

There are concerns that fatigue could be a factor for Zlatko Dalic's side, given they were forced to come through 120 minutes and penalties against both the hosts and Denmark in the last two rounds.

However, Liverpool centre-back Lovren does not think that will be a factor.

"I am perfectly ready and fit and I can say the same for my teammates. We know what it takes and in such moments you forget any fatigue you may feel," said the 29-year-old at Tuesday's eve-of-game press conference at the Luzhniki Stadium.

"This is maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It may repeat itself once, maybe never."

Croatia lost to hosts France in the semi-finals 20 years ago in their first World Cup as an independent nation, going on to beat the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.

Dalic admitted that trying to outdo the achievement of that great generation was a driving force for his team, skippered by the brilliant Luka Modric.

"We shouldn't be surprised that Croatia are in the last four at a World Cup, given the quality of players," said Dalic, who only took over as coach towards the end of their qualifying campaign.

"This generation has been underrated for a long time but they have shown their qualities when it matters and they will go down in history as a great generation that has come close to the 'bronze Vatreni' of 1998.

"This is what drives us. We have come back after 20 years to the semis and we deserve it.

"I cannot imagine what will happen if Croatia were to win the World Cup, I really can't. Probably nobody would go to work!"

Wednesday's game will see Lovren reacquainted with Kane, who has carried his prolific form in the Premier League to Russia and is the leading scorer at the tournament with six goals.

Last October, Lovren was taken off by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp just half an hour into a game against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, when Kane scored twice in a 4-1 win for his side.

Lovren was not impressed when he was reminded of that day by an English reporter.

"I don't know what to say. That 4-1 defeat is completely irrelevant," he said.

"Why didn't you ask me about when I played well? You are just nitpicking at my poor performances."

He added: "I have full respect for Kane. He has been showing season after season that he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and he is one of their greatest threats but he is not alone."

Dalic refused to confirm whether right-back Sime Vrsaljko would miss the game after the Atletico Madrid player came off in extra time against Russia.

"We want players to be 100 percent but we will see after training. He has some minor problems but we are facing a huge game. We need all the players but those on the pitch must be fully fit."

Click here for full coverage of FIFA World Cup 2018

Click here to view the full schedule of FIFA World Cup 2018</s>ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — They're young, they're brash and they're collectively worth a billion dollars. The one thing missing for this French squad is an international title.

Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and France are about to get that chance.

Les Bleus are headed to the World Cup final.

Samuel Umtiti clinched a 1-0 win over Belgium — and earned the approval of watching French President Emmanuel Macron in the VIP seats at St. Petersburg Stadium — by scoring on a header off a corner kick in the 51st minute on Tuesday.

Umtiti played his part in a strong defensive effort by the French, too, helping to shut out the highest-scoring team at the tournament and leaving Belgium's golden generation of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku to regret another missed opportunity at a major tournament.

"It's me that scored," Umtiti said, "but we all delivered a big game."

France's players danced on the field after the final whistle and their fans sang in the stands long past the end of the match, surrounded by yellow-clad security.

They certainly hope to keep the party going on Sunday in the final in Moscow. France — with an average age of 26 — will face either Croatia or England, who play Wednesday at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital, and has a shot at redemption after losing its last two major finals — at the 2006 World Cup when Zinedine Zidane was sent off for a nasty head-butt and the 2016 European Championship on home soil.

"We're immensely privileged to be in the World Cup final," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "It was so painful two years ago we have to savor it."

Deschamps now has the chance to become the third person to win the World Cup as a player and a coach, after German great Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil's Mario Zagallo. As France captain, Deschamps raised soccer's most prized trophy in 1998.

Deschamps has faced some criticism for being too pragmatic and functional despite having a squad of superstars, but his team was set up superbly against an opponent that was largely restricted to only minor chances and denied on two occasions in particular by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

He dived to his right midway through the first half to claw away Toby Alderweireld's shot, then got in front of Lukaku to punch away one of the many crosses sent in by Belgium in the final stages.

In a tournament dominated by goals from set pieces, France's goal came off a corner when Griezmann curled in the ball from the right and Umtiti got in front of tall Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini to knock in his header at the near post.

Up in the corporate seats, president Macron reacted to the goal by shaking the hand of King Philippe of Belgium as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched on between them.

"Unfortunately for us, the difference is just a dead-ball situation, a set play," Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. "The game was, as you can imagine, very close, very tight, and it was going to be decided (on) maybe the one that could find that final touch in the box."

After reaching the quarterfinals at both the 2014 World Cup and the European Championship in 2016, Belgium again missed the chance to get to an international final and has yet to fulfil its lofty expectations. Leading the scoring in this tournament with 14 goals, many thought this could be their year.

With Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar no longer in Russia, Hazard and Mbappe have taken over as the stars of the World Cup and there was a buzz every time either got the ball.

Yet while Hazard — Belgium's captain — faded after a strong opening 30 minutes, Mbappe was a constant threat. His first touch was after 10 seconds and, after receiving the ball on the right wing, he sped past Jan Vertonghen and then Mousa Dembele on a thrilling run.

At 19, Mbappe wasn't even born when France won the World Cup for the first and only time with a squad that is just as diverse as the one Deschamps is leading 20 years later.

Umtiti was born in Cameroon. Mbappe has Algerian-Cameroonian roots.

"It's a pure pleasure to see these players grow," Deschamps said, "and never give up."

Instead of a trip to Moscow, Belgium will return to St. Petersburg on Saturday for the third-place match no team wants to play.

Along with the French and Gabonese presidents and the king and queen of Belgium, there was rock 'n' roll royalty watching the game.

Mick Jagger was one of the many famous faces in the stands at St. Petersburg Stadium. The Rolling Stones frontman is a big soccer fan, having attended the World Cup final in Brazil in 2014 as well as many England games.

Former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson, who is the partner of France defender Adil Rami, also was present.</s>France secured a place in the final of the 2018 World Cup when they beat Belgium on Tuesday night in Saint Petersburg.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at how Les Bleus made it all the way to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, where they will face either England or Croatia.

In Les Bleus’ opening match, the video assistant referee came into play for the first time at the World Cup as Antoine Griezmann put France ahead with a contentious second-half penalty. Referee Andres Cunha adjudged the Atletico Madrid forward had been fouled by Joshua Risdon after watching a replay of the incident at the side of the pitch. The aggrieved Socceroos quickly levelled through Mile Jedinak’s spot-kick, before Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba clinched victory with a late deflected effort which looped over the goalkeeper and in off the underside of the crossbar – confirmed by goal-line technology.

Kylian Mbappe fired unconvincing France into the World Cup knockout stages after a nervy 1-0 win over plucky Peru. The Paris St Germain forward scored his first goal with a close-range tap-in after 34 minutes, which proved enough to give Didier Deschamps’ side victory at the Central Stadium. It was not all smooth sailing, though, as Pedro Aquino hit the post for lively Peru, whose defeat meant the South Americans could no longer qualify.

In one of the less memorable games of Russia 2018 at the venue of the final, Denmark and France played out a goalless draw – a result which saw both sides progress, with Les Bleus top of the group. Deschamps rested the likes of Mbappe and Pogba while Andreas Cornelius ploughed a lone furrow up front for the Danes in a match which saw the first Mexican wave start after just 21 minutes.

Kylian Mbappe (left) scored twice as France knocked Argentina out of the World Cup in Kazan. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Photo)

Mbappe returned to the side with a bang in Kazan as France ended the hopes of Argentina and Lionel Messi with a breathtaking display. The 19-year-old striker scored twice in five minutes just past the hour mark as Deschamps’ men stormed back from behind to seal victory in a memorable seven-goal thriller. Griezmann had given France an early lead from the penalty spot before Angel Di Maria, who plays his club football in Paris, drilled in from 25 yards. Gabriel Mercado then poked Argentina into the lead before a stunning volley from defender Benjamin Pavard levelled things up and paved the way for Mbappe’s fine double, with Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time effort proving little consolation.

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera fumbled a shot from Antoine Griezmann as France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

After all the drama of Kazan, France produced a composed display to become the first side to book their place in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. The South Americans – without injured PSG forward Edinson Cavani, worked hard, but never really troubled the 1998 champions. Goals in each half from Raphael Varane and Griezmann – his third of the tournament, with more than a helping hand from Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera – saw Les Bleus through.

Samuel Umtiti headed France into the World Cup final as Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ came up just short in Saint Petersburg. Mbappe once again impressed, but it was Barcelona central defender Umtiti who produced the decisive moment when he nodded home a corner from Griezmann after 51 minutes, with the help of a touch off Marouane Fellaini. The Belgians, who had knocked Brazil out in the quarter-finals, were left to reflect on what might have been after all the collective talents of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and company failed to find another stellar performance.</s>France will unleash the attacking talents of Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann against Eden Hazard´s gifted Belgium side in St Petersburg tonight

SAINT PETERSBURG: France will unleash the attacking talents of Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann against Eden Hazard´s gifted Belgium side in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday with a place in the World Cup final at stake.



The semi-final matchup of the European neighbours promises to be full of intrigue as France aim to return to the final for the first time since a Zinedine Zidane-led team did so in Germany in 2006.

Belgium will be seeking to break new ground by reaching the final for the first time in their history -- indeed they have only reached the semi-finals once before, in 1986.

The winner will face either Croatia or England, who play on Wednesday, in Moscow´s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday.

With Eden Hazard pulling the strings and Romelu Lukaku providing the firepower, Belgium have what it takes to beat France.

But their secret weapon could be on the sidelines in the shape of one of France´s greatest players of all time, Thierry Henry, who is now head coach Roberto Martinez´s assistant.

Former Arsenal and Barcelona forward Henry was part of the French squad that won the World Cup on home soil 20 years ago and played 123 times for his country, scoring 51 times.

Now it is his job to halt the run of his home nation.

"He will be feeling divided loyalties tomorrow," France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said on Monday.

"He is first and foremost French. But tomorrow, on a professional level, he will be putting all the passion that drives him into the Belgian team."

Belgium´s Kevin De Bruyne said Henry had talked little about his feelings.

"Perhaps he will sing the Marseillaise (before the game), which I find normal," De Bruyne said.

"It might be a bit difficult for him but he´s working for Belgium now, he wants us to win."

Belgium´s confidence will be high after knocked out Neymar´s Brazil in the quarter-finals and they are the only team to have won all their matches in Russia, top-scoring with 14 goals.

Didier Deschamps´ France side failed to fire in their group matches but burst into life in the 4-3 demolition of Argentina as Mbappe overshadowed Lionel Messi and announced his arrival as a new superstar of the game.

The French then showed their steel in the 2-0 disposal of Luis Suarez and Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

France are favourites because of their mix of youth and experience allied to tournament nous after they reached the Euro 2016 final.

As World Cup fever builds at home, England are avoiding the hype as the coach Gareth Southgate prepares his team in their tranquil base near Saint Petersburg for their first semi-final since 1990.

While many England fans are surprised by the unheralded team´s progress, midfielder Dele Alli says the squad always believed they could go far.

"We had to believe and we know how talented we are as a squad," he said.

"We know we have some unbelievable players and a great manager and everyone is clear on what we want to do.

"When you have such a solid foundation, you have the basics and clear understanding of what we want to do and achieve, it´s not a surprise that it´s going well for us."

Southgate has told his players they have the potential to be bigger heroes even than the team featuring Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton that win on home soil in 1966.

Captain Harry Kane is leading England´s charge with six goals so far, putting him top in the race for the Golden Boot. Lukaku is on four goals and Griezmann and Mbappe have three each.

Croatia can count on Real Madrid´s midfield talisman Luka Modric, named man of the match three times in Russia, but his teammate Andrej Kramaric says England´s lack of superstars is what makes them a cohesive unit.

"England was one of the favourites for me for the tournament because they have a young and hungry team with no big, international stars, so it won´t be easy for us."

Croatia could well be battling fatigue and injuries after a strength-sapping penalty shootout to edge out host nation Russia on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and right-back Sime Vrsaljko, who both picked up an injury against Russia, and centre-back Dejan Lovren were all absent from the part of the session open to media.

Croatia excluded former international Ognjen Vukojevic from their delegation on Monday for posting a pro-Ukraine video clip following the win over Russia. He was also fined by FIFA.

Defender Domagoj Vida escaped with just a warning from FIFA, which bans political statements, for also appearing in the video and shouting "Glory to Ukraine!"

-- Cover image: France´s forward Olivier Giroud (C) controls the ball during a training session of France´s national football team at the Saint Petersburg Stadium, in Saint Petersburg, on July 9, 2018/AFP</s>Over the years, World Cup semifinals always have been cagey,...</s>ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — They talked about the attacking for two days before France played Belgium in a World Cup semifinal here, about Kylian Mbappé's speed and Eden Hazard's dribbling and Antoine Griezmann's style and Kevin De Bruyne's playmaking.

But France is back in soccer's World Cup championship game because of the simplest of things: Defender Samuel Umtiti lost his marker, a corner kick found his forehead, and he turned the ball into the net for the only goal in France's 1-0 victory over Belgium.

The goal, in the 51st minute, sent France to its first World Cup final since 2006, and gave it a chance to win the title for the first time since its one and only world championship, claimed on home soil in 1998.

France's manager, Didier Deschamps, was the grinding midfield heart of that team, the player who did the hard work behind the flash of bigger stars like Zinedine Zidane. Deschamps has crafted a team that now draws comparisons to those French heroes — dangerous in attack, diligent in midfield, rock-solid in defence.

This France can only match that France, though, if it wins one more game. That will come Sunday at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, the site of Wednesday's second semifinal between Croatia and England.

Umtiti's goal ensured France would be there. It came, seemingly, out of nothing: a corner won by France, the ball crossed in by Griezmann, Umtiti running to the near post to meet it. But, crucially, he had stepped away from his marker, Toby Alderweireld, just as the play began. And even though Marouane Fellaini arrived at the final moment to offer at least a token challenge, it was too late. Umtiti's header sailed over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and France, outplayed for a large portion of the first half, suddenly had its destiny in its hands.

The goal gave the French a brief burst of energy, but they soon settled into the kind of practical, businesslike approach that was their manager's calling card as a player. Raphael Varane and Umtiti cleared whatever balls were served into the penalty area, N'Golo Kanté smothered Eden Hazard every time he moved inside, and Hugo Lloris raced off his line to punch away anything that got past them and looked even remotely dangerous.

France employed some of soccer's darker arts, too, however. Mbappé went down easily and often. Restarts were delayed. Injuries required extra treatment. If a ball could be knocked away, it was. If a free kick could use a little deliberation, then why not a little more?

Belgium, of course, didn't like any of it, but it didn't do enough to press the game when it could. With France laying back in the final 20 minutes, Belgium sent on attackers as substitutes and worked the ball around the outside, looking for a crack in the French defence.

But the crack never appeared, the clock wound down, and the whistle blew. The French were headed back to Moscow, to see if they could wear out one more opponent, win one more game, and lift one more trophy.</s>Twelve years after one of soccer’s most infamous moments, Samuel Umtiti used his head to score from a corner kick in the 51st minute and earn France a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday in the first of the all-European semifinals.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — France is back in the World Cup final for the first time since Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt in 2006.

Twelve years after one of soccer’s most infamous moments, Samuel Umtiti used his head to score from a corner kick in the 51st minute and earn France a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday in the first of the all-European semifinals.

The French players danced on the field after the final whistle and shook the hand of Thierry Henry, who helped Les Bleus win the World Cup in 1998 and is now Belgium’s assistant coach.

France will face either Croatia or England in the final on Sunday in Moscow. Those two teams play in the other semifinal match on Wednesday, also in Moscow.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris produced a great save in each half, denying the potent Belgian attack of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku the chance to advance the country to its first major final. Belgium reached the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup and the European Championship in 2016 but has yet to fulfil its lofty expectations.

The world now gets to see France’s luxury squad, collectively valued in excess of $1 billion and headlined by teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, in another major final.

Two years ago at home, the French surprisingly lost to Portugal 1-0 in the Euro 2016 title match. In 2006, they were beaten in a penalty shootout by Italy in a World Cup final that was overshadowed by Zidane headbutting opposing player Marco Materazzi in the chest in extra time. Zidane was sent off in what was his final match.

In a tournament dominated by goals from set pieces, France’s took the lead from a corner. Antoine Griezmann curled in the ball from the right and Umtiti got in front of tall Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini to knock in his header at the near post.

Up in the corporate seats, French President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the goal by shaking the hand of King Philippe of Belgium as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched on between them.

The goal capped an impressive display by Umtiti, who helped to shut out the most productive attack in the World Cup with 14 goals, and meant three defenders have now scored on France’s route to the final. Benjamin Pavard and Raphael Varane scored in previous matches.

In search of the equalizer, Belgium repeatedly sent over crosses from both wings but Umtiti and Varane, both center backs, used their bodies cleverly to hold off Fellaini and Lukaku.

France coach Didier Deschamps has faced some criticism for being too pragmatic and functional despite having so many stars in his squad, but the organization of the team was superb and Belgium was largely restricted to only minor chances that were kept out by the flying Lloris.

Deschamps now has the chance to become the third person to win the World Cup as a player and a coach, after Germany great Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil’s Mario Zagallo. As France captain, Deschamps won soccer’s most prized trophy in 1998.
France knocks out Belgium from the World Cup, with France moving on to the final against either Croatia or England.