*By Christian Smith* For soccer fans it feels like the 2018 FIFA World Cup only kicked off but moments ago, yet the tournament is already down to its final four teams: Belgium, Croatia, England, and France. France and Belgium start off the semifinals Tuesday at 1 pm ET in St. Petersburg. Both teams looked strong in their last matches ー France as it overwhelmed Uruguay 2-0, and Belgium as it upset early tournament favorite Brazil 2-1 in rather convincing fashion. *Les Bleus* have won the World Cup once before in 1998 and with a stacked squad that includes rising \(arguably risen\) star Kylian Mbappé they could easily do it again. Belgium, however, has something to prove. The country has never made it to the World Cup finals. *The Red Devils*' best showing was in 1986 when the team lost in the semifinals and the third-place game. The Belgian team has shown that it has what it takes to win big games, but with less consistency, Mike Murphy, deputy editor at Quartz, said on Cheddar Monday. "I feel like they kind of get unraveled at times," Murphy said. "I think that France is probably the stronger team. I think they really just have shown that they're a little bit more of a team." Don't count out Croatia and England quite yet. The two teams go head to head Wednesday at 1 pm ET in Moscow. It would seem that Croatia has an uphill battle, recovering from two long, physical matches that ended in penalty kicks. But team captain Luka Modrić showed that he still has gas in the tank with a few breakaways at the end of extra time against Russia. It's the country's second semifinal appearance, the first being in 1998 - the first year Croatia competed as its own country in the World Cup. England, which fielded one of the youngest teams in this year's tournament, looked rested and ready to go in the team's 2-0 sweep against Sweden. Forward Harry Kane will be one to watch in the match-up. He's the leading goalscorer in the tournament, although many of those goals came from penalties. The winners of both matches will face off in the finals Sunday at 11 am ET in Moscow. The losers will have to pick themselves up and head back to the field for the third-place playoff game Saturday at 10 am ET in St. Petersburg. For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/previewing-the-world-cup-semifinals)

Share:
More In Sports
The Real Cost of Being an Olympic Figure Skater
Tanya Ghahremani, associate lifestyle editor for Bustle, takes a look at just how much money skaters and their families shell out in pursuit of an almost impossible dream. The Winter Olympics are now underway in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Closing Bell: February 8, 2018
Cheddar is dedicating the day to celebrating women, and we're calling it "Chedher"! We have special co-hosts and interviews from women in sports, tech, business, politics and more. Hope King welcomes special co-hosts Alicia Quarles and Tanzina Vega.
Hope Solo on Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Sports
Soccer phenom Hope Solo is an outspoken advocate for the gender pay gap in sports. Along with her U.S. Soccer teammates she is advocating for equal pay in the league. Cheddar's Hope King spoke with the athlete about challenges facing women in sports, and how she is inspiring the next generation.
World Cup Champ Hope Solo Battles for Equal Pay
U.S. Women's Soccer has been plagued by inequities in how athletes are paid compared to their male counterparts. Hope Solo discusses why the disparity exists and what she's doing to change it.
Between Bells: February 8, 2018
Between Bells: Cheddar turns into #chedHER, with 100% women anchors and guests. We highlight women in business, tech, entertainment, politics, and sports. With Cosmopolitan, EMILY's List, Lea DeLaria, MoveOn.org, THINX, and more!
The Women to Watch at the Winter Olympics
Team USA is sending 109 women to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics. SELF's Amy Eisinger joins Cheddar to discuss some of the most inspiring athletes to watch during the games.
Aaptiv Founder Ethan Agarwal On The New Age Of Audio
Radios may be a relic of the past, but audio technology is anything but outdated. In this week's Volvo Tech Drive the Founder and CEO of Aaptiv explains how his company is using audio to change the way the world works out.
Between Bells: February 7, 2018
On Between Bells: Government shutdown showdown, technology addiction, and big changes at New York Fashion Week. With Esquire, PCMag, Chat Sports, YourTango, and more.
Load More