Spain advanced to the World Cup final after a semi-final victory over France, with the Guardian’s Jeff Rueter attributing the result to a game plan executed to perfection. The report emphasised Spain’s control and flawless execution as the decisive factors that overcame France’s more variable, chaotic style of play.

According to the Guardian, Spain’s approach centred on brilliant buildup play, an element that the outlet noted has often withered in past matches but held firm on this occasion. The contrast between Spain’s controlled structure and France’s chaos was framed as central to how the semi-final unfolded.

The piece also examined how this World Cup, staged in North America with its final held in what the Guardian called the planet’s biggest media market, has become fixated on individual stars. The outlet pointed to broadcast coverage, singling out Fox, for framing matches as contests between two elite footballers rather than teams of 22 players working things out over 90 minutes.

The Guardian noted that one semi-final had been reduced by broadcasters to marketing built around individual matchups, variously billed as Messi versus Kane or Messi versus Bellingham depending on the broadcaster. This reflected what the outlet described as a bias toward star-driven narratives in the tournament’s presentation.

For the other semi-final, coverage leaned heavily on the hope that Lamine Yamal’s hamstring would finally be at full fitness following his injury in April. The Guardian contrasted the marketability of a Mbappé-focused billing with the less snappy reality of Spain’s passing-heavy, collective game, referencing the team’s high pass volume per match.