The semifinals for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been set
These are the two semifinal matchups that will determine the finalists of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Only four teams remain in contention for the title. Who's your favorite to reach the final?
Only four national teams are still alive in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the semifinals set to take place midweek. These two matches will determine the finalists who will battle for football’s ultimate prize on Sunday, July 19.
THE SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS: TRUE CLASSICS
- 🇫🇷 France vs. Spain 🇪🇸 — Dallas Stadium
- 🏴 England vs. Argentina 🇦🇷 — Atlanta Stadium
KEY FACTS
Four of the 48 teams that began the 2026 FIFA World Cup remain alive: defending champions Argentina, runners-up France, and the two finalists from UEFA Euro 2024 — European champions Spain and England.
They are also the top four nations in the FIFA World Ranking: France, Argentina, Spain, and England, respectively. It is the first time in World Cup history that the four highest-ranked teams have all reached the semifinals.
All four semifinalists have won the World Cup at least once: Argentina with three titles (Argentina 1978, Mexico 1986, Qatar 2022), France with two (France 1998, Russia 2018), and England (England 1966) and Spain (South Africa 2010) with one each.
Once again, UEFA and Europe dominate the final stages with three representatives (France, Spain and England), while CONMEBOL and the Americas are represented by Argentina.
🇫🇷 FRANCE VS. SPAIN 🇪🇸 — A SHOWDOWN WITH A REVENGE STORYLINE
After 38 meetings between the French (13 wins) and Spanish (18 victories), the two giants meet again on football’s biggest stage. Their first encounter came in a 1922 friendly, when France handed Spain its heaviest defeat in this rivalry with a 4-0 victory.
This heavyweight clash, which has also produced 11 draws, carries a modern revenge narrative for France after recent European heartbreaks against Spain. La Roja defeated Les Bleus in the semifinals of Euro 2024 (2-1) and in the 2025 UEFA Nations League (5-4), the two most recent competitive meetings between the nations.
La Roja will look to rewrite its history against France in the biggest tournaments. Across 12 official matches, France holds the advantage with six victories compared to Spain’s four.
This will be their second World Cup meeting, following France’s 3-1 victory over Spain in the Round of 16 at Germany 2006, led by a starring performance from Zinedine Zidane.
The teams have met five times at the European Championship. The most notable encounter came in the Euro 1984 final, when France won 2-0 on home soil. Spain later defeated France in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals (2-0), while the teams drew in the Euro 1996 group stage (1-1), and France won the Euro 2000 quarterfinals (2-1). Their Euro record stands at two wins apiece and one draw, with France also claiming the 2021 UEFA Nations League final (2-1).
France, the reigning World Cup runners-up and one of the tournament favorites, reached the semifinals after defeating Sweden (3-0 at New York/New Jersey Stadium), Paraguay (1-0 at Philadelphia Stadium), and Morocco (2-0 at Boston Stadium).
Spain, the reigning European champions, has advanced with wins over Austria (3-0 at Los Angeles Stadium), Portugal (1-0 at Dallas Stadium), and Belgium (2-1 at Los Angeles Stadium).
Neither team has needed extra time or a penalty shootout in this World Cup.
All eyes will be on the superstar duel between Kylian Mbappe, France’s global icon, and Lamine Yamal, Spain’s teenage sensation and one of the faces of the new generation.
🏴 ENGLAND VS. ARGENTINA 🇦🇷 — THE MATCH OF TENSION
The rivalry between Argentina and England is one of the most emotional in World Cup history, filled with unforgettable matches, controversy, and enormous historical significance. This will be the sixth World Cup edition in which these two nations meet.
Every encounter represents more than just football, with national pride and intense fan passion adding another layer to the rivalry. The history between the two countries has extended beyond the pitch, including political and cultural tensions.
They have faced each other 14 times, with England holding the advantage: six victories for the Three Lions, three wins for Argentina, and five draws. The total rises to six draws if the 1998 World Cup meeting in France is included, as that match was tied before Argentina advanced on penalties.
In World Cup history, England also leads the series with three victories to Argentina’s two. The 1998 knockout match is officially recorded as a draw because it was decided by a penalty shootout.
The most iconic chapter came at Mexico 1986, when Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the quarterfinals through two legendary Diego Armando Maradona goals: the famous “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century.”
Twelve years later, they met again in the same round at France 1998, with Argentina winning a dramatic penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw (4-3 on penalties). That result leveled their World Cup knockout history at two wins each.
Their first World Cup meeting came in the group stage at Chile 1962, when England defeated Argentina 3-1. Four years later, at England 1966, the Three Lions won again, 1-0, in the quarterfinals at Wembley Stadium — a match that intensified the rivalry, as tensions were so high that the teams did not exchange jerseys afterward.
Their next World Cup encounter came in the group stage at Korea/Japan 2002, when England won 1-0 at Sapporo Dome through a David Beckham penalty, a painful memory for Argentina, who failed to advance from the group stage for the third and final time in their history.
This semifinal generates enormous anticipation because it represents pride, tradition, and the opportunity to write another unforgettable chapter in World Cup history.
Argentina, the reigning world champions, reached the semifinals after difficult knockout victories over Cape Verde (3-2 after extra time at Miami Stadium), Egypt (3-2 at Atlanta Stadium), and Switzerland (3-1 after extra time at Kansas City Stadium).
England, still searching for its first major international trophy since 1966, advanced through narrow victories against the Democratic Republic of Congo (2-1 at Atlanta Stadium), Mexico (3-2 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City), and Norway (2-1 after extra time at Miami Stadium).
There is no denying that Argentina’s Lionel Messi and England’s Harry Kane are the players to watch in this semifinal showdown.
