Itâs not a hot take to say these World Cup games are not decided by one player. The whole reason these four teams are still here is because theyâve found a way to put together an on-pitch product greater than the sum of their parts. One-man bands like Lionel Messiâs Argentina have fallen by the wayside as cohesive units with strong mindsets have prevailed.However, itâs also true that these teams wouldnât be here without special efforts from individual players. Englandâs Harry Kane is on his way to the golden boot, and Kylian Mbappé is Franceâs teenage hero. Sometimes, the outcome of a game comes down to the impact one player has.Thus, below are the four players for each of France, Belgium, England and Croatia who will ultimately determine the outcomes of the semifinals.
France â N'Golo Kanté
Les Bleusâ defence has been among the best of the World Cup, surrendering just four goals in five matches, and N'Golo Kanté has been a mighty reason why. Heâs averaged 2.4 tackles and 3.4 interceptions per game while successfully passing at a rate of 89 per cent. Mbappé has stolen the show and Paul Pogba remains one of the biggest starts in football, but Kantéâs impact on the other end cannot be overlooked.
France face the team with arguably the most impressive showing thus far in Belgium on Tuesday night, and if Les Bleus have any hope of advancing to their first final since 2006, Kanté will need to keep up the work.
Belgiumâs attack â made up of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard â has been unstoppable at times. They dismantled Brazilâs defence in the quarterfinals. However, the Red Devils havenât faced a defence quite like France, and the Chelsea defender will pose a significantly challenge for Belgium.
Belgium â Eden Hazard
 The Red Devils will be without right wing-back Thomas Meunier, who will serve a suspension after receiving his second yellow card against Brazil in the quarterfinal, but as long as Eden Hazard does what he does best, it shouldnât but much of an issue.
Hazard has arguably been the best player in this entire World Cup, and the stats back that up: he ranks among the best in key passes per game (2.8), dribbles per game (5.5) and shots per game (3.3). Heâs made a massive impact both as a scorer and passer, having netted two goals and two assists.
It might be true that Belgium havenât quite faced a defense with the caliber of Franceâs, but itâs also true that France havenât seen an attack as balanced as Belgiumâs. And it all flows through the Chelsea star.
With weapons like Lukaku and De Bruyne at his disposal, itâs up to Hazard to win the battle with Pogba in the midfield. Thatâs what it might come down to if Belgium is to advance.
England â Jordan Henderson
Itâs hard not to give this to Kane, the Tottenham Hotspur gem who leads the World Cup with six goals and is well on his way to securing the golden boot for England. No striker has had the success Kane has in the box in Russia, constantly placing himself in perfect situations and executing on every penalty that comes his way.
But when England play Croatia â when the duo of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic push through the midfield â the Three Lions will need much more than Kane. Croatia has been at least a little bit disappointing this World Cup, averaging just under four shots on goal per match played, but Englandâs midfield defence will need to be up to the challenge nonetheless.
Liverpoolâs Jordan Henderson is a vital part of that midfield, and he has played a key role in Englandâs tight defence this World Cup. He hasnât fueled the offense quite the way teammate John Stones has, and he missed a penalty during the Colombia game, but Henderson has more than made up for it on the other end.
With an ability to make tackles, hassle oncoming attackers and clear balls, Henderson will need to be up to the challenge if England are to bring it home.
 Croatia â Vedran Äorluka
The Croats defeated Russia in penalties to advance to the semifinals, but it wasnât a flawless victory as they left Sochi with a few key injuries. Goalkeeper Danijel SubaÅ¡iÄ and right back Å ime Vrsaljko both went down with injuries in the victory, and Croatia might not be at full strength for their showdown with the Three Lions.
Itâs looking like SubaÅ¡iÄ is more likely to make a recovery, but a defence lacking Vrsaljko would require others to step up.
If Croatia is to defeat red-hot England, Vedran Äorluka will need to play excellently. The Lokomotiv Moscow man will likely shift to centre back if Vrsaljko is absent, and Äorluka will all of a sudden be thrust into the role of a lifetime against England.
After surrendering just two goals in their first four matches, Croatia surrendered two to an unimpressive Russia offense. With two injuries to important players on the defensive side, their chances against England have only been hampered. But a key performance from Äorluka would make a huge difference.
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