Spain and France Book Their Places in a Blockbuster World Cup Semifinal
Arlington, Texas, will host the clash fans have been waiting years for, as the quarterfinal round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its final day
The 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first edition to feature 48 teams, and the first ever co-hosted by three nations — is down to its business end. Of the eight sides that started the knockout weekend, two have already punched their tickets to the semifinals: France and Spain. Two more spots will be decided today.
How Spain and France Got Here
France was first to advance, beating Morocco 2-0 on Thursday in a rematch of their dramatic 2022 semifinal. Kylian Mbappé missed a first-half penalty but made amends with a stunning strike after the break, before Ousmane Dembélé put the result beyond doubt. It was a measured, dominant performance that confirmed France as one of the tournament's favourites heading into the closing stages.
Spain's route was far more nerve-shredding. Locked at 1-1 deep into their quarterfinal against Belgium on Friday night in Los Angeles, substitute Mikel Merino pounced in the 88th minute after Belgium's stand-in goalkeeper, Senne Lammens — thrown on after starter Thibaut Courtois went off injured, spilt a long-range effort from Pau Cubarsí. Merino slammed home the rebound to seal a 2-1 win, marking his second straight knockout-round match as Spain's late hero after also scoring the winner against Portugal in the previous round.
The result sets up a semifinal for the ages: France vs. Spain on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — a meeting of two of the tournament's most in-form sides, and arguably the standout fixture of the round.
Two More Places Still Up for Grabs
The other half of the bracket is still being settled today. Norway face England in Miami Gardens, pitting Erling Haaland — in scorching form and firmly in the Golden Boot conversation — against an England side leaning on Harry Kane. Later, Argentina and Switzerland meet in Kansas City, with Lionel Messi chasing a shot at back-to-back World Cup titles against a Swiss side missing injured playmaker Johan Manzambi. Messi enters the match level with Mbappé at the top of the scoring charts, though Mbappé currently holds the tiebreaker on assists.
Whoever emerges from that pair of matches will meet in the second semifinal on Wednesday, July 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
A Tournament of Upsets
This World Cup has already rewritten a few scripts. All three co-host nations are out: Canada fell to Morocco, Mexico was eliminated by England, and the United States lost to Belgium in the Round of 16. Heavyweights Germany, the Netherlands, and Brazil are also out early, beaten by Paraguay, Morocco, and Norway, respectively. Portugal's exit at Spain's hands in the Round of 16 likely marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career at age 41 — an emotional milestone in a tournament already full of them.
Norway's run has been one of the feel-good stories of the summer, with the Vikings back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and Haaland turning in a star turn that's reportedly driving a surge in jersey sales worldwide.
What's Next
- Semifinal 1: France vs. Spain — Tuesday, July 14, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Semifinal 2: Norway/England vs. Argentina/Switzerland — Wednesday, July 15, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- Third-place match: Saturday, July 18, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
- Final: Sunday, July 19, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
With just three matches left to decide the champion, and two genuine title contenders already through, the road to the July 19 final is shaping up to be one of the most competitive finishes in World Cup history.
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