Semi-Finals - 2026 FIFA World Cup

Four teams. Two matches. The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals are everything a football fan could ask for. France against Spain. England against Argentina. The top four ranked nations in the world, exactly as FIFA's rankings predicted before a ball was kicked, but arriving here via a journey that nobody could have scripted. Sixty years of hurt for England. A legacy moment for Messi. A generation-defining tournament for Yamal. A squad that has played some of the most complete football of any team in this World Cup for France. This is what it was all building toward.

Four teams. Two matches. France against Spain. England against Argentina. The top four ranked nations in the world, and the most compelling semi-final lineup any World Cup has produced in decades. Everything was building toward this.

Semi-Finals Fixtures

Both semi-finals take place across two consecutive days, July 14 and July 15, 2026, at two of the tournament's most celebrated venues.

🇫🇷France

Jul 14 · 15:00 ET / 21:00 CET Semi-Final

🇪🇸Spain

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England

Jul 15 · 15:00 ET / 21:00 CET Semi-Final

🇦🇷Argentina

Kickoff times in ET and CET. Always verify with the official FIFA schedule.

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How the Semi-Finals Work

Two matches, four teams, two finalists. The format remains unchanged from every other knockout round at this World Cup: ninety minutes of normal time, thirty minutes of extra time if the scores are level, and a penalty shootout if neither side can be separated after one hundred and twenty minutes. There is no away goals rule, no second leg, no safety net of any kind. One match to determine who goes to MetLife Stadium on July 19.

France versus Spain takes place on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of what will be a crowd with considerable Spanish-speaking representation given the tournament's location across North America. England versus Argentina follows on July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a match that carries historical and emotional weight far beyond its status as a single knockout game. The winners of each semi-final meet in the final. The losers face each other in the third-place match on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

For confirmed kickoff times, team news, and live match updates throughout both semi-finals, the official FIFA World Cup 2026 website is the most reliable source available.

Quarter-Finals: The Results That Built This Lineup

The four teams standing here did not arrive easily. The quarter-finals produced drama, late goals, extra time, and performances that confirmed exactly why this particular semi-final field is being described as the strongest the World Cup has ever assembled.

France 2-0 Morocco

France were composed, controlled, and ultimately clinical against a Morocco side that had been one of the tournament's most compelling stories. Second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele settled the tie with less drama than the scoreline might suggest. Morocco offered moments of quality but were never truly able to threaten France's defensive structure in the way they had unsettled previous opponents. Mbappe's goal moved him to the top of the tournament's all-time scoring charts in the knockout rounds and confirmed his status as the most dangerous attacking player remaining in the competition. France go into the semi-finals having kept clean sheets in two consecutive knockout matches.

Spain 2-1 Belgium

Mikel Merino was the hero again, scoring in the eighty-eighth minute to drag Spain past Belgium in a match that had looked destined for extra time. Spain were unconvincing for long stretches, with Belgium threatening through De Bruyne and De Ketelaere, and it took a moment of individual brilliance from a central defender to separate the sides. Lamine Yamal won Man of the Match for a performance that belied his age entirely, but this was not Spain's most polished display of the tournament. They are in the semi-finals, they have won every knockout game, and they are the defending European champions. The wobble against Belgium is filed away and not forgotten. France will not miss it.

England 2-1 Norway (AET)

Jude Bellingham scored twice to send England into the semi-finals in one of the quarter-finals' most gripping contests. Norway took the lead through a brilliant Andreas Schjelderup strike in the first half, and England looked genuinely rattled before Bellingham produced a leveller just before the break that was almost immediately controversial, with Norway arguing the ball had come off a team-mate's hand in the build-up. A scoreless second half led to extra time, where Bellingham produced his second of the night to settle it. Erling Haaland was well-contained by England's defensive shape throughout but will feel he had chances he should have converted. England have now won three consecutive knockout matches, each one decided by a different margin and in different circumstances. They are battle-hardened in a way they were not four years ago.

Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (AET)

Argentina's tournament has been a masterclass in finding a way to win regardless of the circumstances. Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina the lead in the tenth minute, and for long stretches it looked like a comfortable evening. Then Dan Ndoye equalised for Switzerland in the sixty-seventh minute, and Breel Embolo was sent off in the seventy-second, leaving Switzerland to defend with ten men for nearly the entire second half and extra time. They were extraordinary at it. Argentina created chance after chance and could not find the decisive blow until Julian Alvarez produced one of the tournament's great goals in the hundred and twelfth minute, a controlled strike from outside the area that gave the goalkeeper no chance. Lautaro Martinez added a third in injury time. Argentina have now scored late goals to win in three of their five knockout matches. They do not know when they are beaten.

Betting on the World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals

Semi-final betting operates in territory where the standard analytical tools need recalibrating. These are four teams that have each demonstrated they can win ugly, win late, and win under pressure. The margins between them are genuine and real, but they are also smaller than at any previous stage of this tournament. Check our bonuses page to see available offers.

To qualify is the smarter semi-final market

At the semi-final stage more than anywhere else, the ninety-minute match result market and the to qualify market diverge significantly in their risk profile. England have now played extra time in a quarter-final. Argentina have played extra time in both their Round of 16 and quarter-final matches. Any bet on these sides that settles at ninety minutes is carrying risk that the to qualify market eliminates. The price difference between the two markets is often smaller than it should be given the actual probability of these matches going beyond ninety minutes.

Mbappe and Bellingham in goalscorer markets

Kylian Mbappe has been the tournament's most consistent individual threat in the knockout rounds and leads the scoring charts for France. Jude Bellingham has scored in three consecutive knockout matches and is operating with a freedom and confidence that defines what a player looks like when everything is going right at exactly the right moment. Both players carry first goalscorer and anytime goalscorer value that reflects genuine probability rather than optimistic punting. In semi-finals where tactical caution is expected in the opening period, anytime scorer rather than first scorer is generally the more reliable market on both.

Argentina's history with late goals

Argentina have scored decisive goals in the eighty-third minute against Egypt, the one hundred and twelfth minute against Switzerland, and in injury time at multiple points throughout this tournament. This is not luck. It reflects a squad with the psychological resilience and individual quality to keep producing in moments of maximum pressure. Backing Argentina in double result markets where they trail or draw at half-time but win at full-time, or in first-half under goals combined with a specific full-time outcome, builds this tendency into the bet structure explicitly rather than ignoring it.

France's defensive record as a market signal

France have kept clean sheets in their last two knockout matches. Their defensive structure under Deschamps is built around minimising the spaces that opponents can exploit in transition, and it has been executed with a precision that no other team at this World Cup has matched. Under total goals is a market that gains credibility when one team's defensive record is as consistent as France's. Spain will create chances because they always do, but whether those chances translate into goals against this French side is a different question entirely.

England versus Argentina historical context

The fixture carries more weight than almost any other possible World Cup matchup. England's only previous World Cup final was in 1966. Argentina's two World Cup victories over England in 1986 are among the most analysed ninety minutes in football history. Neither of those facts directly affects what happens in Atlanta on July 15, but they affect how both sets of supporters, analysts, and bookmakers approach the pricing. Emotional weight on a fixture historically compresses the odds on the higher-profile side, and in this case both sides are equally high-profile. It is one of the fairer priced semi-finals in recent World Cup history.

Penalty shootout value in both fixtures

Argentina have won a penalty shootout at this tournament. England's preparation for shootouts under Gareth Southgate has been extensively documented and they converted every penalty in the quarter-final extra time against Norway. France have not needed a shootout at this World Cup. Spain have not either. The two sides who have demonstrated recent shootout competence are on the same side of the draw. If England versus Argentina reaches penalties, the historical evidence from this tournament and from both squads' recent preparation gives a genuine framework for assessment rather than a coin flip.

France vs Spain and England vs Argentina: What to Expect

Two semi-finals, four very different squads, and two matches that could produce almost any outcome. Here is the picture as it stands heading into July 14 and July 15.

France vs Spain

The match between the two sides who have been the most tactically coherent teams of the entire tournament. France's defensive solidity and devastating counter-attacking speed through Mbappe, Dembele, and Griezmann against Spain's relentless pressing game and Yamal's ability to find space in areas that should not exist. Spain's slight nervousness in the closing stages against Belgium is a thread France will pull. France's relative caution against Morocco, where they were content to absorb pressure and strike on the break, is a style that suits the way Spain like to build. This is the match of two coaches as much as two squads. Deschamps and his Spanish counterpart know each other well enough that tactical surprises will be limited. Execution under pressure, individual moments of brilliance, and whichever team's nerve holds longest will decide it.

England vs Argentina

England come into this match with more momentum than they have carried into any World Cup knockout game in recent memory. Three wins in a row, Bellingham in the form of his life, Kane contributing without needing to be the primary creator, and a defensive structure that held Haaland at arm's length for one hundred and twenty minutes. Argentina come in with Messi, eight goals in this tournament, thirty-nine years old, and playing with the particular clarity that comes from knowing this is the last chapter. Julian Alvarez has been outstanding beside him. The squad is deep enough to absorb the physical toll of two extra time matches. England will start as marginal favourites in terms of fresh legs and momentum. Argentina will counter with the weight of an entire nation's footballing identity and the best player in the world operating at the peak of his final tournament.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which teams are in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?

The four teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals are France, Spain, England and Argentina. France beat Morocco two goals to nil in the quarter-finals. Spain edged Belgium two goals to one. England defeated Norway two goals to one in extra time. Argentina beat Switzerland three goals to one in extra time. These are the top four ranked teams in the FIFA world rankings heading into the tournament.

When and where are the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?

France versus Spain takes place on July 14, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kickoff at 15:00 ET. England versus Argentina follows on July 15, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, also at 15:00 ET. Both matches follow the standard knockout format of ninety minutes, extra time if required, and a penalty shootout if still level after one hundred and twenty minutes.

How did England reach the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?

England qualified from their group, then beat DR Congo two goals to one in the Round of 32, defeated Mexico three goals to two at the Estadio Azteca in the Round of 16, and eliminated Norway two goals to one in extra time in the quarter-finals. Jude Bellingham scored twice in the quarter-final and has scored in three consecutive knockout matches. Harry Kane has contributed goals throughout and England have won each of their three knockout matches by different margins in different circumstances.

How did Argentina reach the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?

Argentina topped their group, beat Cape Verde three goals to two in extra time in the Round of 32, came from behind to beat Egypt three goals to two in the Round of 16 after Messi's eighty-third minute equaliser, and defeated Switzerland three goals to one in extra time in the quarter-finals after Julian Alvarez scored one of the tournament's great goals in the hundred and twelfth minute. Messi has scored eight goals at this World Cup and leads the Golden Boot standings.

Who is favourite to win the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?

France are marginal favourites against Spain based on their defensive record and clinical form in the knockout rounds. England are marginal favourites against Argentina due to their momentum and fresher legs after not requiring extra time in the quarter-finals. However, the gaps between all four sides are genuinely small and all four squads have demonstrated the ability to win matches from behind and in the most pressured circumstances the tournament can produce.

What happens if a semi-final is level after 90 minutes?

If a semi-final is level after ninety minutes, thirty minutes of extra time are played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout determines who advances to the World Cup final. There is no away goals rule and no replay. England and Argentina have both already played extra time at this tournament, while France and Spain have not yet been required to go beyond ninety minutes in any of their knockout matches.

How many goals has Messi scored at World Cup 2026?

Lionel Messi has scored eight goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup heading into the semi-finals, leading the Golden Boot standings. He scored in the group stage, netted the crucial equaliser in the eighty-third minute against Egypt in the Round of 16 to spark a comeback from two goals to one down, and has been the decisive individual in Argentina's knockout campaign. He is thirty-nine years old and this is widely expected to be his final World Cup.

When is the World Cup 2026 final?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final takes place on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff at 15:00 ET. The third-place match is on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 17:00 ET.

What betting markets are available for the semi-finals?

Licensed bookmakers offer match result settling at ninety minutes, to qualify covering all stages including extra time and penalties, Asian handicap, both teams to score, total goals, first goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score, half-time result, and penalty shootout markets for both semi-final fixtures. In-play markets are available throughout each match, updating in real time after goals, red cards, and other significant events.

Has England ever beaten Argentina at a World Cup?

England and Argentina have met three times at the World Cup. Argentina won in 1986 in a match that included Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal and his individual second goal, widely considered the greatest goal in World Cup history. Argentina also won on penalties in the 1998 round of sixteen. England beat Argentina two goals to one in the 2002 group stage, with David Beckham converting a penalty. The semi-final in Atlanta on July 15 will be their fourth World Cup meeting.