Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Spain, Argentina, France, and England have made history. They are the first top four FIFA-ranked teams to reach the same World Cup semi-final.
Argentina sealed the last spot on Saturday, July 11. The reigning champions beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
FIFA introduced its world rankings in 1994. Until now, the top four teams had never all reached the semi-finals together. That is because FIFA redesigned the knockout draw this year. The new format kept the top seeds apart until the last four.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Semi-Final Fixtures
| Match | Date | Time (ET) | Stadium | Location |
| France vs. Spain | Tuesday, July 14 | 3:00 p.m. | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas |
| England vs. Argentina | Wednesday, July 15 | 3:00 p.m. | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Final (Winners) | Sunday, July 19 | Not specified | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
Why FIFA’s Draw Change Made This Possible
FIFA placed Spain, Argentina, France, and England into separate quadrants of the knockout draw. This meant the four sides could not meet before the semi-finals, as long as each won its group. All four did.
The setup kept Spain and Argentina apart until a possible final. FIFA placed England and France on opposite sides of the bracket, away from that pairing.
FIFA said the move protects competitive balance. It creates two separate pathways to the semi-finals. Wimbledon and the revamped Champions League format use a similar seeding method.
The change responded to the expanded 48-team format. The extra knockout round had made early meetings between group winners far more likely. Three such matchups happened in this year’s Round of 16 alone. The United States met Belgium, England played Mexico, and Switzerland faced Colombia.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Quarter-Final Recap
All the Teams Tried Their best to qualify for the World Cup Semis. Below is the recap of the Quarter Finals:
France 2-0 Morocco
First, Kylian Mbappé helped France repeat their 2022 semi-final scoreline against Morocco. France won 2-0 on Thursday, July 9, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Morocco had reached back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals, the first African nation to do so. Even so, the run ended there. France remains the only side yet to need extra time in this tournament.
Spain 2-1 Belgium
Next, Mikel Merino’s goal sent Spain through 2-1 on Friday, July 10, in Los Angeles. Belgium arrived on the back of a 4-1 win over co-hosts USA in the Round of 16.
Still, Belgium could not get past Spain. Spain’s finishing has drawn criticism throughout the knockout rounds, despite the result.
England 2-1 Norway (after extra time)
Meanwhile, Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup put the surprise package ahead in the first half. The quarter-final took place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday, July 11. Jude Bellingham equalized just before halftime.
The second half stayed scoreless, so the match went to extra time. There, Bellingham struck again to send England through 2-1. The result ended Norway’s first-ever World Cup quarter-final run. Erling Haaland had powered that run, with his brace eliminating Brazil in the previous round.
Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (after extra time)
Elsewhere, Alexis Mac Allister put Argentina ahead in the 10th minute at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye leveled in the 67th minute. Five minutes later, the Swiss lost forward Breel Embolo to a red card.
Referee Joao Pinheiro had initially booked Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for a foul. He then reversed the call under the tournament’s new mistaken identity VAR protocol. Instead, he booked Embolo for simulation and showed him a second yellow.
As a result, Switzerland played the rest of the match with 10 men. Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead with a long-range strike in the 112th minute. Lautaro MartÃnez then added a third from a stoppage-time rebound to complete a 3-1 win. It is Argentina’s sixth straight World Cup semi-final.
A First Since FIFA Rankings Began
FIFA introduced its world rankings in 1994 but did not use them for that year’s tournament. Since then, a top-four ranked side has crashed out in the group stage five times. That happened to Belgium in 2022, Germany in 2018, Spain in 2014, Italy in 2010, and France in 2002.
Two top-four ranked teams last met before the semi-finals in 2010. That year, the Netherlands beat Brazil 2-1 in the quarter-finals. FIFA used the same top-four seeding method at last year’s Club World Cup. Even so, one of the four top seeds, Real Madrid, still reached the semi-finals. It did not stay apart until the final. Overall, this year marks the first time the approach has worked exactly as FIFA intended.
What’s Next in the FIFA World Cup 2026
The third-place match follows on Saturday, July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The two semi-final losers meet there. Finally, the final takes place on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
