The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals are set, with France, Spain, England, and Argentina advancing to the final four after a dramatic week of quarterfinal matches. For the first time in World Cup history, the top four teams in the FIFA Live Rankings have all made the semifinals, marking an unprecedented concentration of elite talent in the tournament’s final stages.
France advanced on July 9 with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, with Kylian Mbappé scoring at the 60-minute mark and Ousmane Dembélé adding a second goal at the 66-minute mark. Spain followed on July 10 with a 2-1 win over Belgium, courtesy of Mikel Merino’s decisive goal. On July 11, England defeated Norway 2-1 in Miami, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, including an extra-time winner. Argentina completed the final four later that day with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland, with Lautaro Martínez scoring in extra time to seal the win.
The semifinals will take place on July 14 and 15, with matches scheduled at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. France will face Spain on Tuesday, July 14, at 3 p.m. ET in Dallas, while England will take on Argentina on Wednesday, July 15, in Atlanta. All matches will air on FOX.
The emergence of these four nations as semifinalists marks a historic moment in World Cup history. According to reporting, this is only the third time all four semifinalists have been former World Cup champions—a distinction previously achieved in 1970 (Italy, West Germany, Uruguay, Brazil) and 1990 (Italy, Argentina, West Germany, England). The 2026 lineup of France, Spain, England, and Argentina represents the highest concentration of ranked talent ever assembled in a World Cup semifinal round, reflecting the seeding format FIFA introduced to protect top-ranked nations until the later stages of the tournament.
France and Argentina have faced each other before in a World Cup final. When the two nations met in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, Argentina won 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in extra time. If both teams advance from their respective semifinals, a rematch would be possible. The New York Times reported that France’s victory over Morocco has significantly boosted the chances of a repeat of the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.
Sources
- FOX Sports — Confirmed the 2026 World Cup semifinal matchups and schedule, with France vs Spain on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and England vs Argentina on July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
- Olympics.com — Reported the semifinal dates as July 14-15 and confirmed France’s 2-0 victory over Morocco with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, and Spain’s 2-1 win over Belgium
- Al Jazeera — Confirmed Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium with Mikel Merino as the hero, advancing Spain to the semifinals
- BBC Sport — Reported England’s 2-1 victory over Norway in Miami with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, including an extra-time winner
- SBS — Confirmed Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinal at Kansas City Stadium
- Reddit (r/worldcup) — Reported that for the first time in World Cup history, the top 4 teams in the FIFA Live Rankings have all made the Semifinals
- Facebook (plaantik) — Noted that for only the third time in World Cup history, all four semifinalists are former champions, with the 1970 and 1990 tournaments as precedent
- The New York Times — Reported that France’s victory over Morocco has significantly boosted the chances of a repeat of the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina
- ESPN — Confirmed the power rankings with France, Spain, Argentina, and England among the top-ranked teams heading into the tournament
- NBC Sports — Confirmed that France and Spain are in one semifinal and provided broadcast information
