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Lionel Messi's last dance could end exactly where the script demands: a World Cup final against European royalty. But the bracket has already made a decision Argentina can't control — France and Spain collide in the semifinal, meaning only one of them survives to face the Albiceleste in New Jersey.
Argentina still have to earn their way there. Switzerland stand between Messi and a fifth World Cup final on Tuesday in Kansas City, and the Swiss have already shown in this tournament they don't go quietly, needing penalties to get past Colombia. Win that, and Argentina wait for the winner of Saturday's Norway-England semifinal.
On the other side of the draw, France arrive full of firepower — Mbappé and Dembélé have carried them through every knockout round without needing extra time — while Spain lean on Mikel Merino's habit of finding late, tournament-defining goals. Whichever of them wins on July 15 in Dallas inherits the final spot and, potentially, a date with Messi's Argentina on July 19.
For neutrals, either version is a heavyweight final. Argentina-France would be a rematch of the unforgettable 2022 final in Qatar. Argentina-Spain would be a first-ever World Cup final meeting between the two — a changing of the guard collision between Messi's aging golden generation and Lamine Yamal's rising one.

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