Semifinalists Confirmed: France, Spain, England, and Argentina Set for World Cup Showdowns
With the quarter-finals complete, the stage is set for two blockbuster semifinals on July 14 and 15, featuring the tournament's top contenders.
The story
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered a brief pause following the thrilling conclusion of the quarter-final stage, which saw four football giants secure their spots in the coveted semifinals. France, Spain, England, and Argentina have all navigated their way through intense knockout clashes to form the final four.
While Argentina's extra-time victory over Switzerland on July 12 sealed the last semifinal berth, the prior days saw France overcome Morocco 2-0, Spain defeat Belgium 2-1, and England edge past Norway 2-1 after extra time. Fans now eagerly await the high-stakes encounters set for later this week, with no matches scheduled for today, July 13.
Where it stands
The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout bracket is now fully formed for the semifinal stage. France will face Spain in the first semifinal, while England is set to clash with defending champions Argentina in the second.
These four nations emerged victorious from their respective quarter-final matchups, cementing their places as the tournament's strongest contenders. The winners of these two matches will advance to the World Cup Final on July 19, with the losing teams competing for third place.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ederson | Manchester United (transfer fell through) | Atalanta (new contract) | |
| Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid | Arsenal | |
| Cristian Orozco | Fortaleza | Manchester United | |
| Alejandro Garnacho | Chelsea |
What we'll be watching
- France vs Spain – Semifinal, Tuesday, July 14, AT&T Stadium, Dallas
- England vs Argentina – Semifinal, Wednesday, July 15, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.