The 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches a dramatic peak with semi-finals featuring Argentina vs England in Atlanta and France vs Spain in Dallas. Messi, Kane, Mbappe and Spain’s rising stars headline clashes that will decide the finalists. With Argentina defending their crown and England, France and Spain chasing history, every team is primed for an intense, all-or-nothing battle.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals stage is about to commence, and it will decide who will be the ultimate two finalists contending for the "best football team in the world" title. Here's everything you need to know about these upcoming matches. These two FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals' clashes are England vs Argentina and France vs Spain. On view will be Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and more. Here's all you need to know about the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, including England vs Argentina and France vs Spain matches. We list here the players, teams, venues and more.
Yes, just 3 more matches and the world will get its FIFA World Cup 2026 winner. Will Argentina be able to successfully defend their title, or will France be able to win it this time? Will it be England finally taking it home after decades of disappointment? They last won the world cup way back in 1966. Or will it be Spain winning their second? France has already won two world cups. Argentina has won thrice. Once in 1978 under Daniel Passarella, then in 1986 under Diego Maradona and once in 2022 under Lionel Messi. While the results of the 2026 final will only be known once it happens, one thing is for sure, all four of these teams will leave no stone unturned to win the semi-finals and book their spot in the final.
The ultimate battle of youth (Harry Kane) vs experience (Lionel Messi), the second FIFA World Cup semi-finals is guaranteed to give us an A+ level football game. Will Argentina book its second consecutive World Cup final appearance, or will England get one step closer to finally taking it home this time? Whatever the case may be, the clash is undoubtedly going to be legendary. What you will get to see is the magical dribbling skills of Lionel Messi where he will try to score himself or set up one of his team-mates. His passes are almost on par with Diego Maradona's. On the other hand, Harry Kane will be a provider and also look at scoring opportunities. He has an unerring habit of turning up exactly where the ball is. Jude Bellingham will try to rattle Argentina with his speed. Here are the details of the Argentina v England (Semi-Final 2) clash:
Match - Argentina v England
Date - 16th July, 2026
Time - 12:30 AM IST
Venue - Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Leonardo Balerdi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Facundo Medina.
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, Enzo Fernández, Valentín Barco, Exequiel Palacios.
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Thiago Almada, Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Paz, Giuliano Simeone, Jose Manuel Lopez, Nicolas Gonzalez.
Goalkeepers – Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford.
Defenders – Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Jarell Quansah, Nico Oreilly, Dan Burn, Djed Spence, Trevoh Chalobah.
Midfielders – Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze.
Forwards – Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon.
Unarguably one of the most awaited clashes of the entire edition, France and Spain fighting for that spot in the final is sure to give us a game worth celebrating. Both of these teams have been so strong during this World Cup that the losing team of this clash will be losing their first and only match of the entire 2026 World Cup. That would be the most perfect example of "so close, yet so far." Notably, these two teams have bee rising since the middle of the 1980s and they have won the FIFA WC and know what it takes to do so. What that means is the match is going to be a thrilling one with no quarters given. The difference between the teams may well be the speed and power of Mbappe. He lost the last world cup to Argentina, but this time, he will be looking to make amends and ensure they reach the final and lift the trophy itself. Here are the details of the France v Spain (Semi-Final 1) clash:
Match - France v Spain (Semi-Final 1)
Date - 15th July, 2026
Time - 12:30 AM IST
Venue - Dallas Stadium, Dallas
Goalkeepers – Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba.
Defenders – Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano.
Midfielders – Ngolo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Rayan Cherki, Maghnes Akliouche.
Forwards – Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
Goalkeepers – Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia.
Defenders – Pedro Porro, Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia, Marc Cucurella, Alex Grimaldo.
Midfielders – Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Gavi, Alex Baena.
Forwards – Mikel Oyarzabal, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Dani Olmo, Victor Munoz, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino.
Which team will Argentina be facing in their semi-final match?
Argentina will be clashing with England in their 2026 World Cup semi-final match.
Which team will France be facing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals?
France will be facing Spain in the semi-finals.
Which team did France defeat to book their spot in the Semi-Finals?
France defeated Morocco to book their spot in the Semi-Finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Who is the leading goalscorer for England at this year's World Cup?
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are currently tied as England's leading goalscorers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with six goals each.