Page 16 - Big Match News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

This is a huge performance in the world cup history, but it is much more than just football. this is a moment of much—needed collective joy across africa and the arab world. for the first time, a team makes it to the semi—finals in the world cup. morocco stays, and so do the fans. many told me they they've changed their ticket every time morocco won, and they'll have to change it again to witness another historic match for their team. of course, for every winner, there has to be a loser and it's fairly clear from these pictures of portugeuse fans watching the match in lisbon that things we...

Bring the trophy back. so that is quite a record there for france to be able to get this far again. of course they're hoping they can get all the way to the end, but also a very big night for morocco. they've broken some records here too. absolutely. let's repeat it again, because sometimes we get carried away with the news and we don't put it in context. morocco are in the semifinals of the world cup. this just sounds unreal even to say. it's not only the first arab county to make it, it was really the first african country to get so far. it's also very weird because if we think about it, afr...

Are hopeful their national team can be the first side to retain the world cup since brazil in 1962. our correspondent lucy williamson watched the match there for us. absolute euphoria here, absolute joy. that first goal in the first half, when france scored, i can't describe the atmosphere in the bar. i think there are many people here who saw this as the big match, the best side they had faced so far, the final before the final, as one man put it. it is one of the quarter—finals, but for many people it felt like the most significant match, perhaps of the whole tournament. we have yet to fin...

The final before the final, as one man put it. it is one of the quarter—finals, but for many people it felt like the most significant match, perhaps of the whole tournament. we have yet to find that out. but it was really built up as a match of equals or almost equals. the best side they had faced, as i say, with star players on both sides. a lot of respect, a lot of caution amidst the confidence here tonight, but absolute euphoria that france are through. and obviously as the reigning champions, for them, this is significant, because it is one step closer to that final and one step closer t...

Or at least that's how it looks at this fan zone in wembley, in north london. england were of course beaten semi—finalists four years ago and lost in the final of the euros last year, so hopes were high and the disappointment is clear. let's get the view from paris now, where celebrations have been taking place on the champs elysees and elsewhere, including both french and morrocan fans. the french supporters are hopeful their national team can be the first side to retain the world cup 0ur correspondent lucy williamson watched the match there for us. absolute euphoria here, absolute joy. tha...