Ahmed Abrar Jawad

When the world tuned in to the 2026 World Cup semi-final between Spain and France, all eyes were fixed on the superstars. The pre-match narrative was dominated by Kylian Mbappe's lethal finishing, Michael Olise's fluid football and the brilliance of Lamine Yamal.

When an athlete reaches the age of 39, romance alone does not assure a World Cup pedigree. As much as football fans love the narrative of a seasoned veteran willing his team to glory purely on heart and nostalgia, the reality of the 2026 tournament in North America is far more clinical.

A trip down the memory lane to 15 June 2002 in Jeju, South Korea. Paraguay hustled through a tough group featuring teams like Spain, South Africa, and Slovenia clinching on goal difference.