FIFA World Cup: Players to watch out for in semis
What's the story
The FIFA World Cup semi-finals are upon us, and the big question is - out of Belgium, France, England and Croatia, which two teams will book a place in the final on July 15? As these teams prepare for one of the most important fixtures of their lives, we take a look at the players who could be the difference-makers in semi-finals.
Forward
Belgium's Eden Hazard
Belgium's golden generation boasts players like De Bruyne, Courtois and Lukaku but then there is Hazard, a class above the rest. You will be left in awe of this man just by his sheer intelligence. With two 'Man of the Match' performances in 4 games and 2 goals and 2 assists so far, France will have to negate him to minimize their problems.
Striker
England's Harry Kane
England have finally made it to a World Cup semi-final, their first one in nearly three decades. The credit must go to their captain, Harry Kane who has scored 6 goals in the tournament till now and is the leading goal-scorer in Russia. If Kane continues his prolific run, then nobody can stop football from coming 'home' this time around.
Striker
France's Kylian Mbappe
Not often you will expect a 19-year-old to shoulder the responsibility of taking his side through to the finals of a World Cup. But Mbappe is a prodigious talent and he has, time and again, proved that he is a big game player. With 3 goals in the tournament so far, Mbappe's speed will be vital to tear apart Belgium's defense on Tuesday.
Mid-fielder
Croatia's Luka Modric
Luka Modric is the heart and soul of the Croatian national football team. The Real Madrid mid-fielder has been instrumental in their success so far with three 'Man of the Match' performances in 5 games. The 32-year-old has scored two goals and bagged an assist so far and will be the cog in the wheel for Croatia against England on Wednesday.