2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals: Schedule, Matchups, and Road to the Final

The tournament started with forty-eight teams, but now just France, Spain, England, and defending champions Argentina remain. These four have battled through a tough quarterfinal round, with France beating Morocco, Spain narrowly defeating Belgium, England edging out Norway, and Argentina overcoming Switzerland.

Each team stands two wins away from lifting the trophy.

Semifinal Lineup and Schedule

• Tuesday, July 14: France vs. Spain, 3 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
• Wednesday, July 15: England vs. Argentina, 3 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• Saturday, July 18: Third-place match between semifinal losers, 5 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
• Sunday, July 19: Final between semifinal winners, 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Quarterfinal Results Recap

• France 2, Morocco 0 (July 9)
• Spain 2, Belgium 1 (July 10)
• England 2, Norway 1 (July 11)
• Argentina 3, Switzerland 1 (July 11)

Road Through Round of 16

• Morocco beat Canada 3-0
• France edged Paraguay 1-0
• Norway stunned Brazil 2-1
• England won against Mexico 3-2
• Spain defeated Portugal 1-0
• Belgium overcame USA 4-1
• Argentina edged Egypt 3-2
• Switzerland won on penalties over Colombia (4-3) after 0-0 draw

Round of 32 Highlights

Early knockout matches featured some surprises, like Canada's narrow win over South Africa and Morocco's penalty victory over the Netherlands. The favorites mostly advanced, with teams like Brazil, France, and England moving forward. Penalty shootouts decided several close matches, including Paraguay's win over Germany and Egypt's success against Australia.

Group Stage Summary

Mexico topped Group A undefeated, while South Africa also advanced. In Group B, Switzerland led with Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina also progressing. Brazil and Morocco moved on from Group C, with Scotland and Haiti eliminated. The USA topped Group D, followed by Australia and Paraguay advancing.

Germany and Ivory Coast advanced from Group E along with Ecuador as a best third-place finisher. Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden qualified from Group F. Belgium and Egypt moved ahead from Group G, while Spain and Cape Verde took top spots in Group H.

France dominated Group I, with Norway and Senegal also making it through. Argentina swept Group J, joined by Austria and Algeria. Colombia led Group K, with Portugal and DR Congo advancing. England topped Group L alongside Croatia and Ghana.

Next Matches to Watch

• France faces Spain in a crucial clash that could determine the next finalist.
• England meets Argentina, a matchup rich in history and high stakes.
• Third-place and final matches set the stage for crowning this World Cup's champion.

We think these semifinals will be thrilling. The paths were tough, but the remaining squads have shown resilience and quality. Maybe the winner is still anyone’s guess.