England, Argentina, Spain and France are all set to thrill the football fans in the semi-finals of FIFA World Cup 2026. The stakes are high as the winners will qualify for the final of the biggest-ever edition of football's showpiece event.
The semi-finals of the World Cup are often gruelling, thrilling, entertaining and often sees unusual things pan out on the football field.
From players shedding tears on the field in front of millions of spectators to them having weird haircuts to distract the opponents, the football World Cup semifinals have dished out fascinating stories over the years.
As the football fans await for the two semi-finals, here is a look at some of the outlandish stories from the previous World Cup semi-finals.
France 1938: Meazza Scores While Holding Up His Shorts
The first semi-final of the 1938 World Cup was played between Italy and Brazil. Italian striker Giuseppe Meazza famously scored the winning penalty. However, the goal was scored in slightly uncomfortable circumstances as Meazza netted the goal while holding up his torn shorts after the elastic snapped.
Chile 1962: Chile Helps Garrincha Escape Suspension
Host Chile and then defending champions Brazil locked horns in the first semi-final of the 1962 World Cup.
Brazil's Garrincha dazzled with two goals and an assist before being sent off. Garrincha's on-field show was so spectacular that he earned support from the local crowd and also from Chile President Jorge Alessandri. They appealed to overturn his decision, which eventually happened. Garrincha played in the final against erstwhile Czechoslovakia and became a part of the World Cup winning team.
Spain 1982: Schumacher's Brutal Collision Sparks Outrage
The second semi-final of the 1982 World Cup played in Spain featured West Germany and France.
West Germany goalkeeper Toni Schumacher escaped punishment after a brutal collision with France's Patrick Battiston left the defender with broken teeth, cracked ribs and a damaged vertebra. Schumacher later starred in the penalty shootout to send his side to the final.
Italy 1990: Gascoigne's Tears Become a World Cup Icon
The second semi-final of the 1990 World Cup was played between two former champions as England took on West Germany in Turin.
England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who had a great run in the tournament, received a yellow card, which would rule him out of the final if England managed to reach there. The possibility of not playing the biggest match in football shattered Gascoigne as he started to cry in front of everyone.
A tearful Gascoigne touched millions of English hearts and it made him a World Cup icon.
France 1998: Thuram's Only Two France Goals Send Les Bleus to the Final
Former French defender Lilian Thuram hardly ever scored goals. The former Barcelona and Juventus man netted only two goals in 142 matches for France, but those two goals arrived at the most perfect time for Thuram and Les Bleus.
The right-back scored once with his right foot and then with his left foot as France beat Croatia 2-1 in the second semi-final of the 1998 World Cup. The hosts eventually beat Brazil and became the World Champions for the first time.
Korea/Japan 2002: Ronaldo's Haircut Steals the Spotlight
To divert attention from concerns over a leg injury, Ronaldo unveiled his "triangle" haircut before the semi-final that became a rage across the world. The distraction worked perfectly, and he scored the winner against Turkey to send Brazil into the final.
"It was horrendous!" he admitted later, according to FIFA.com. "I apologise to all the mothers who saw their sons with the same hairstyle."
Germany 2006: Cannavaro's Heroics Seal Italy's Final Berth
The first semi-final of the 2006 World Cup was played between hosts Germany and Italy.
Italy were leading 1-0 with a few minutes of added time remaining on the clock. It was at this moment, Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, who has a diminutive built, jumped high and beat Germany's tall centre back, Per Mertesacker. Such was the jump that it is believed that Cannavaro overcame a 22-centimetre height difference to win a header against Mertesacker.
The Italian not only cleared the ball, but he then bravely headed it away from Lukas Podolski to kick-start an Italian counter-attack, which led to Alessandro Del Piero scoring Italy's second goal and winning the match.
Italy went on to beat France on penalties in the final and became four-time champions.
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