By: Precious Miracle Kargbo Snr
The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals are set to begin this week with France, Spain, England and Argentina making up the final four. For the first time in tournament history, the top four teams in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking have all reached the semi-finals.
France booked their place with a 2-0 win over Morocco after Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scored, and they had earlier beaten Sweden and Paraguay to advance. Spain edged Belgium 2-1 thanks to an 87th-minute winner from Mikel Merino, who also scored a late winner in the previous round.
England came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 in extra time in Miami with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, and they also got past DR Congo and Mexico in the knockout stage. Defending champions Argentina outlasted Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in Kansas City, with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez striking after the game was tied 1-1.
The semi-final between France and Spain will be played on Tuesday, July 14 at 3pm ET at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. England will face Argentina on Wednesday, July 15 at 3pm ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The matchups have already generated huge anticipation among fans, with Spain vs France billed as a clash between Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, and England vs Argentina renewing one of football’s most famous rivalries with five previous World Cup meetings.
The third-place play-off is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while the final will be held on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams this year, the last four remaining are now just two wins away from being crowned world champions.