Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, left, jumps for the ball with France’s Raphael Varane during the semifinal match between France and Belgium at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) – They’re young, they’re brash and they’re collectively worth a billion dollars. The one thing missing for this French squad is an international title.
Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and France are about to get that chance.
Les Bleus are headed to the World Cup final.
Samuel Umtiti clinched a 1-0 win over Belgium – and earned the approval of watching French President Emmanuel Macron in the VIP seats at St. Petersburg Stadium – by scoring on a header off a corner kick in the 51st minute on Tuesday.
“Vive la France! Vive la Republique!” France forward Antoine Griezmann shouted during postgame celebrations.