It's no accident that the four best teams in the world are in the World Cup semifinals; FIFA ensured it

The World Cup's final stages have produced a historic outcome never before seen: the semifinals feature the top four teams from FIFA's latest rankings. France, now ranked first, is joined by second-ranked Argentina, third-ranked Spain, and fourth-ranked England. This lineup guarantees that the coveted trophy will be lifted by a team with prior championship experience, as all four semifinalists are former World Cup winners.

This marks only the third time in World Cup history that all remaining teams have previously won the tournament, the last instance occurring in 1970. The semifinal matchups, France versus Spain and England versus Argentina, promise spectacular clashes of styles, histories, and footballing philosophies. While the tournament has been filled with excitement, it has ultimately avoided major upsets among the top contenders.

This predictable yet historic outcome is not entirely coincidental. FIFA introduced changes to the draw procedure before the tournament, aiming to "ensure competitive balance" and foster potentially more engaging matches in later stages. The top four ranked teams were strategically paired to occupy opposite halves of the draw. This meant Argentina and Spain, ranked first and second respectively, and France and England, ranked third and fourth, could only meet in the semifinals, provided they won their respective groups, which they all did.

Critics might argue that this mechanism diminishes the unpredictable charm that has always characterized World Cups. However, proponents would counter that it ensures the most formidable teams of the current era compete for the ultimate prize, leaving no doubt about the legitimacy of the eventual champion.