Sutton: France and England to Reach World Cup Final
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- France are Sutton's pick to beat Spain 3-1 in Tuesday's Dallas semi-final, with the BBC Sport expert saying the tie "should be the final based on what I've seen"; AI's prediction is 2-1.
- France have scored 16 goals across six games — all won in 90 minutes — and Sutton expects them to hurt Spain on the counter-attack, citing how "brave" Spain play with the ball.
- England will "never get a better chance" of a World Cup semi-final than Wednesday's Atlanta tie with Argentina, per Sutton, who predicts a 3-1 win; AI picks 1-2 to Argentina.
- Argentina's quarter-final win over Switzerland turned on Breel Embolo's red card for simulation, which Sutton said "changed the entire dynamic" after the Swiss had been the better side in the second half.
- Lisandro Martinez has "made mistake after mistake" in this tournament, per Sutton, who calls the Argentina centre-back a weak link and expects Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke to exploit Argentina's full-backs.
- Lionel Messi, 39, was "really quiet for long periods" against Switzerland and has never played England; Sutton says if Declan Rice is fit, dealing with Messi will be "his job."
- Jude Bellingham is "absolutely flying" after his "sensational" first goal against Norway, and Sutton says if one player decides the England-Argentina tie, "it is likely to be him."
Why it matters: Sutton hands England a tactical blueprint heading into Wednesday's semi-final, flagging Martinez as the weak link and detailing how Gordon and Saka or Madueke can isolate Argentina's full-backs. France get his pick to beat Spain 3-1 on the strength of their 16 goals in six games, with Microsoft Copilot-backed AI putting the tie at 2-1 ahead of Sunday's MetLife Stadium final.
