Live updates as France and Belgium meet in the first World Cup semi-final in St. Petersburg. Follow the text below for all the action and reaction.
10 July 2018
That's all from our live updates today, but you can read our full match report here.
We'll be back tomorrow for the second semi-final between England and Croatia from Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
Until then, we'll bid you bonsoir.
The French team's Twitter account is understandably delighted at that showing...
France into a third World Cup final, with a 50/50 record so far, winning on home soil in 1998, but losing out to Italy on penalties in Germany in 2006.
Will Russia 2018 bring a second triumph for the team? Many will back them based on their performances in Russia so far.
Full-time: France 1-0 Belgium
Ecstasy for France, agony for Belgium. Samuel Umtiti's second-half goal is enough to separate the teams in St. Petersburg.
In truth, France looked comfortable and managed the game well, without hitting top gear.
Belgium didn't hit the heights of the display against Brazil, with another golden opportunity gone begging for the golden generation.
France will be heavy favorites for the final at Luzhniki in Moscow on July 15, regardless of whether they face England or Croatia.
FULL-TIME! FRANCE ARE INTO THE WORLD CUP FINAL!
Chance for France! Courtois with a finger-tip save from Tolisso! Dying seconds here...
90 + 3 mins: Vertonghen goes into the book for Belgium after bringing down Mbappe. Less than 2 minutes for Belgium to level.
90 + 2 mins: Belgium with another change as Michy Batshuayi comes on up front, Chadli makes way.
France almost seal it through Griezmann, but Courtois saves low.
6 minutes of added time here in St. Petersburg. What have you got Belgium?
89 mins: Lukaku tries to get on the end of ball into the French box, but its beyond his giant frame and out for a goalkick. Belgium's World Cup dream slipping away...
87 mins: Yellow card for Kante as he brings down Chelsea teammate Hazard on the edge of the French box.
De Bruyne swings the free-kick in, but France clear.
87 mins: First change for France as Olivier Giroud makes way for Steven N'Zonzi - a forward for a midfielder as Didier Deschamps looks to sure things up.
Samuel Umtiti looks like he's struggling with an injury, possibly taking time to eat up the minutes as he ambles off, to be replaced by Corentin Tolisso.
83 mins: The French fans are bouncing in the stands of Saint Petersburg Stadium. The Belgians look pensive.
81 mins: Rasping drive from Witsel draws a strong save from Lloris, low to his left in the French goal.
Belgium have made a second change, Fellaini off, Yannick Carrasco on.
79 mins: Huge whistles as Olivier Giroud piles into Eden Hazard on the edge of the French box, bringing the Belgian down. Clear contact, but somehow referee Andrés Cunha waves play on. Baffling.
78 mins: Kylian Mbappe allowed to amble on the ball in the Belgian half - the Red Devils again showing a surprising lack of urgency.
France then win a free-kick in the Belgian half, but the subsequent cross is headed over.
Les Bleus still looking comfortable.
76 mins: De Bruyne receives the ball on the edge of the French box, rolls, makes space but then shanks his shot well wide. Indicative of Belgium's frustrating night so far...
74 mins: France with every man behind the ball but content to let Belgium play all their passing in front of them. Still no incision from the Belgians with the clock ticking down.
72 mins: Belgium seem to be strangely lacking urgency here, considering it's a World Cup semi-final and they are behind with just over 15 minutes to play. They need to find some bite, and fast.
Mertens has already been heavily involved on the right, swinging the ball into the box as Belgium looked to have switched tactics to targeting Fellaini and others with high balls at every opportunity.
Approaching the last 20 minutes in St Petersburg. Belgium really need to step things up, France looking comfortable so far.
68 mins: France have had 15 efforts on goal to Belgium's 7. The Belgians still enjoying more of the ball, but looking toothless.
France breaking with such pace through Mbappe and Griezmann, but the latest charge from Les Bleus ends when Giroud skies the ball well over from a cut-back. He's not had his shooting boots on in Russia, has Olivier.
65 mins: Chance for Belgium! Fellaini heads a yard wide as he meets a cross from the right. It would have beaten Lloris if it had been on target.
64 mins: First yellow card of the game goes to Belgian skipper Hazard, who drags back Matuidi as France look to break.
60 mins: Belgium make their first change as they go in search of the equalizer. Mousa Dembele comes off, Dries Mertens comes on. The Napoli winger will look to inject more pace into the Belgian attacks.
That link-up play from Mbappe to set up Giroud was simply sublime - a roll-back followed by a backheeled layoff. That description doesn't do it justice, but it was lovely on the eye.
Gary Neville is a fan...
56 mins: Chance! France nearly double their lead after some lovely, lovely link-up play sees Mbappe play Giroud in with a roll-back followed by a backheel, but Dembele covers back to block the shot with an outstretched leg. Wonderful stuff from France.
54 mins: Rocker Mick Jagger seen in the stands in St. Petersburg. Sympathy for the Red Devils after the French opener?
Samuel Umtiti heads France into the lead, beating Mouranne Fellaini to the ball at the front post from a corner and heading powerfully past Courtois! Goal timed at 51 mins.
GOAL! France 1-0 Belgium! Umtiti heads France into the lead!
48 mins: Romelu Lukaku with Belgium's first chance of the half. Axel Witsel swings the ball into the box, where the Manchester United man meets it with a header, but he's under pressure from Raphael Varane and directs the ball over.
Lukaku a quiet presence so far, certainly not having the impact he did against Brazil in the quarter-final.
Second half: Belgium get us back underway, no changes for either side at the break.
Giroud misfiring
Half-time: France 0-0 Belgium
Goalless in St. Petersburg after 45 minutes. An engaging encounter that hasn't quite caught fire yet, both teams still sizing each other up, sussing each other out.
Will things open up in the second half?
45 + 1 mins: De Bruyne swings a cross into the box, Umtiti misses it but the ball bounces right off Lukaku, who can't turn it home or collect it for a shot.
That's the last action of the half.
44 mins: France with a free-kick on the edge of the Belgian box, 25 yards out. Griezmann lines it up... but curls it straight at the wall. Looks like we're destined to head into half-time goalless.
42 mins: Approaching half-time in St. Petersburg, an engrossing contest so far, albeit light on the flashes of brilliance that both teams are capable of.
39 mins: Great save from Courtois! The big Belgian denies Pavard with his right foot after the French defender breaks into the box. France looking the likelier to make the breakthrough in the last few minutes.
36 mins: Griezmann with a forward's challenge on Hazard that earns Belgium a free-kick. He avoids a yellow card despite scything the Belgian down from behind.
Giroud then goes down after taking a knock when in full flight off the ball, clipping his foot against a retreating Belgian player. The big man is back up but hobbling.
34 mins: Chance for France as Mbappe collects a through-ball - he appeared to be offside - before he squares the ball for Giroud on the volley, but the French number 9 can't get on the end of it.
33 mins: Griezmann has his first sight of goal for France as he collects the ball on the edge of the box, but his shot is deflected wide.
30 mins: Giroud heads wide from Pavard cross. Always going wide but a half-chance for the big French target man.
28 mins: De Bruyne crosses from the left for Belgium, the ball beats two French defenders and looks destined for the boot of Romelu Lukaku before Umtiti snuffs out the danger.
22 mins: Stunning stop from Hugo Lloris, who saves from Toby Alderweireld after the ball falls at the Belgian defender's feet from a corner and he fires off a shot on the turn.
19 mins: Chances starting to come thick and fast. This time Hazard cuts in from the left and unleashes a right-foot shot which Varane heads over. Things starting to open up in St. Petersburg.
18 mins: Matuidi lets fly with a volley from the edge of the box. It's hit with force, but is straight down Courtois' throat.
17 mins: Both teams like two heavyweights throwing out jabs at arm's length at the moment, sizing each other up without looking to land a significant blow yet.
16 mins: Sight at goal for Hazard, who flashes the ball across Lloris' goal after being played in by De Bruyne.
13 mins: First glimpse of the pace of Mbappe as Paul Pogba sidesteps Dembele before looking to release the PSG striker, but the ball is just too long for Mbappe to collect and Hugo Lloris comes out to gather it.
12 mins: Belgium with 65% of ball in the opening encounters, playing a patient build-up so far, France looking solid and well-organized though.
11 mins: The ball gets lofted into the Belgian box towards Kylian Mbappe, but the teenager can't quite bring the ball down and the danger is cleared.
9 mins: Belgium enjoying plenty of possession in the early stages, France with every man in their own half at present as the Belgians probe for an opening.
5 mins: First signs of danger from Eden Hazard on the left as he breaks near the box, but his cross is cut out by Samuel Umtiti. The resulting corner is hit long.
4 mins: Nacer Chadli looks like a willing runner in the early stages, aiming to get forward on the right for Belgium. Dembele appears to assuming a more central role so far.
KICK-OFF: We're underway in St. Petersburg for the first semi-final of the 2018 World Cup! Both teams in their traditional colors: France in blue, Belgium in red.
MACRON IN THE HOUSE
French President Emmanuel Macron is in attendance for tonight's game, and has just been shown alongside FIFA chief Gianni Infantino during the playing of the French anthem.
Just over 2 minutes until kick-off in St. Petersburg....
CONFLICTING LOYALTIES?
Among the several interesting subplots to tonight’s game is the role of French World Cup winner Thierry Henry as a coach for the Belgian squad.
Henry made 123 appearances for Les Bleus, but has been part of the Belgian coaching staff since 2016.
MOURINHO SPEAKS
RT special World Cup pundit Jose Mourinho has said he can’t pick a favorite between the two European nations.
"I can't say if I consider any team a 51-percent favorite," the Manchester United boss said.
However, he believes the French to be "solid" at the back with the "world's best central defense" and a "phenomenal player in Raphael Varane."
DEMBELE ON THE RIGHT
There’s been plenty of discussion over the deployment of Mousa Dembele in what appears to be a right wing-back role for Belgium.
The Tottenham man is coming into the team after not playing either of the knockout games so far, and is more used to being in a central role at this club team.
We’ll find out soon enough how his role on the right-hand side goes….
ROUTE TO THE LAST 4
Both teams are undefeated in their five games at Russia 2018 so far.
France emerged from their group with two wins and a draw, before seeing off Argentina 4-3 in a thrilling last 16 encounter in which 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe scored twice.
They then beat Uruguay 2-0 in their quarter-final, thanks to goals from Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann – the latter coming from a howler from Uruguayan ‘keeper Fernando Muslera.
Belgium have won all five of their games in Russia, emerging from their group with three wins from three, before coming from 2-0 behind to beat Japan 3-2 in the last 16.
They overcame Brazil 2-1 in a blistering performance in the quarter-final thanks to an own goal from Fernandinho and a stunner from Kevin De Bruyne.
The Red Devils are the top scorers in Russia with 14 goals, which have come from nine different sources.
HEAD TO HEAD
The pair have met a staggering 73 times down the years, with the Red Devils prevailing on 30 occasions compared to France’s 24 wins, and the teams sharing 19 draws.
The last time they met in a friendly in June 2015, Belgium won 4-3 thanks to a double from midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who starts in the middle today.
Les Bleus have won on each of the three occasions the two teams have met at major tournament finals, the last team being in a 5-0 hammering at the 1984 European Championships, which France went on to win.
France have one World Cup under their belts, winning on home soil in 1998, while Belgium’s best finish is fourth place in 1986, when they were knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Argentina.
TEAM NEWS
We’re straight in with some team news for you ahead of tonight’s game.
France have made just one change to the team that beat Uruguay 2-0 in the quarter-final, with Blaise Matuidi returning from suspension to replace Coretin Tolisso on the left flank.
Belgian boss Roberto Martinez also makes just the one change from the team that beat Brazil 2-1 in the last eight, with midfielder Mousa Dembele coming in for suspended right-back Thomas Meunier.
WELCOME
It’s here. The first clash of the final four. France versus Belgium, with World Cup glory within touching distance.
We’ll be bringing you live updates on all the action and reaction as France and Belgium battle it out at Saint Petersburg Stadium, aiming to claim a spot in the World Cup final in Moscow on July 15.
Stay tuned for all the thrills and spills as they unfold…