World Cup 2026 Semifinals: All Top Seeds Advance

Sport

By lines

July 13, 2026

Pop-art illustration of a soccer ball beside a blank tournament bracket for the 2026 World Cup semifinals

The 2026 World Cup semifinals feature all four top-ranked FIFA nations. France meets Spain on Tuesday. England faces Argentina on Wednesday.

A Final Four Stacked With the World’s Best

France plays Spain on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. England meets Argentina on Wednesday, July 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both semifinals kick off at 3 p.m. ET. The two winners reach the July 19 final. This is the first World Cup semifinal featuring all four top FIFA-ranked teams. The United States, Canada and Mexico share hosting duties for the tournament.

France topped its group with a perfect nine points and three wins. Les Bleus have not conceded a goal in the knockout rounds. France beat Sweden 3-0, Paraguay 1-0 and Morocco 2-0. Spain reached its first World Cup semifinal since winning the 2010 title. Luis de la Fuente’s side drew Cabo Verde, then beat Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Spain opened the knockouts with a 3-0 win over Austria.

England edged Norway 2-1 in extra time in the quarterfinals. Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1, also after extra time. Jude Bellingham scored braces against Mexico and Norway for England. Bellingham is the first player with multiple goals in back-to-back World Cup knockout games since Diego Maradona in 1986. Harry Kane’s penalty sealed England’s 3-2 win over Mexico earlier.

Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals and three assists. Mbappe scored his eighth against Morocco and assisted Ousmane Dembele. Spain’s Lamine Yamal has one goal and leads the Young Player race. Mbappe and Yamal meet often in La Liga through El Clasico. Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays his final World Cup match this week. Messi won the 2022 title and now chases one more crown.

Oddsmakers and models both favor France on Tuesday. Opta’s supercomputer gives France a 42.1% chance to win in regulation. Opta lists Spain at 31.8%, with 26.1% for extra time. France is favored to win both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball. A France title would be its third World Cup crown. Spain last reached the final when it won in 2010.

Analysts are split on Tuesday’s semifinal in Texas. ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle predicts France 2-1 over Spain. Bill Connelly picks Spain 2-1 instead. The England-Argentina winner then meets the France-Spain winner. That final is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.