India, July 13 -- Every World Cup tells us to expect the unexpected. That is football's oldest promise. Somewhere between the opening whistle and the lifting of the trophy, a giant is meant to fall, an underdog is meant to punch above its weight and history is meant to bend in improbable ways. This tournament has done all of that and more.

And yet amid all the twists, it feels surprising that the semi-finals feature the pre-tournament top four. It's the kind of ending that feels almost too perfect.

That doesn't make this World Cup any less compelling though. Quite the opposite. Instead of another surprise story, fans are being handed something even rarer-a tournament that has gradually stripped away every pretender to leave only the gen...