The endless parade of matches has finally been pared down to the absolute elite, and tonight the business end of the World Cup kicks off in spectacular fashion for the first semi-final. There are only four teams left standing on the continent, and by the time the sun sets over Texas, one of Europe’s ultimate titans will have booked their spot in Sunday’s showpiece finale.

Tonight at 8 pm (Irish time), the jaw-dropping roof of Dallas Stadium plays host to a box-office epic: France versus Spain.

This one could easily have graced the final itself. It’s Les Bleus of France versus La Roja of Spain. Blue against red or, in American terms, Democrats versus Republicans (although France is obviously a république, but let’s just go with the colour analogy for now).

This is the kind of clash that makes the expanded 48-team format worth the headache. We have a glittering rematch of the Euro 2024 semi-final, pitting Kylian Mbappé’s ruthless French pragmatism against Spain’s breathtaking passing carousel. The tactical gossip out of the Spanish base is entirely centered around their 19-year-old wunderkind, Lamine Yamal. Asked by the baying media if he is feeling the crushing weight of a World Cup semi-final, the teenager casually told reporters he feels “no pressure” whatsoever.

Spain enter the arena on a staggering 37-match unbeaten streak in regulation time. However, Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus are tournament survival specialists. Having calmly and systematically dismantled Morocco 2-0 in the quarters, they will happily cede possession to Spain, sit in a compact mid-block, and wait for Mbappé to exploit any space left behind on the counter. It is a high-stakes chess match of the highest order – expect drama, tactical genius, and absolute tension under the Texas lights.

Whatever happens on that pitch, The Heat Map won’t let you down.