MOSCOW — Two wins from becoming the first foreign coach to win a World Cup, Roberto Martinez always will be known as Frankie to his former boss.

“He reminded me of those wonderful what I call zoot-suited American vocalists, like Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, Frankie Valli,” Everton chairman Bill Kenwright said. “And I christened him Frankie from the first day I met him.”

Martinez had more hair then. Now balding, the Spaniard has led Belgium to a World Cup semifinal against France on Tuesday night, three days before his 45th birthday. All 20 previous World Cup-winning coaches were born in the nation they led to the title.

“He’s a genius tactically,” said American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who spent three seasons with Martinez at Everton.

Belgium beat five-time champion Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals when Martinez switched to a new formation — a 4-3-3 with star forward Romelu Lukaku on the right wing. If Belgium gets past the French, The Red Devils would play England or Croatia on Sunday with the chance to win their first World Cup title.

Englishman George Raynor’s Sweden team advanced to the 1958 final at home but lost to Brazil, and Ernst Happel of Austria led the Netherlands team to the 1978 final, an extra-time defeat to host Argentina.