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By Ishaan Kapoor — 13 July 2026 — 3 min read

Semi-final matchups and historical context

The World Cup 2026 semi-finals are set, featuring the top four ranked teams globally: France (1), Argentina (2), Spain (3), and England (4). These matchups promise significant clashes, with Spain facing France on Tuesday and Argentina playing England on Wednesday.

Spain has a history of strong performances in the latter stages of tournaments, having reached the semi-finals of the Euros six times and winning five of them. Their sole previous World Cup semi-final appearance in 2010 resulted in a 1-0 victory against Germany, marked by a Carles Puyol header in the 73rd minute. However, they have faced defeats against France in past tournaments, including the 1984 final and a memorable Euro 2000 quarter-final.

France also carries its own historical challenges in semi-finals. The 1982 game against West Germany in Seville is noted as a traumatic event in their football history, where a severe foul on Patrick Battiston impacted the game. Despite leading 3-1 in extra-time, France lost to West Germany in a penalty shootout, and again four years later in another semi-final. However, France has since achieved three consecutive semi-final successes.

Deep-seated rivalries and recent form

The rivalry between England and Argentina is particularly intense, spanning decades with numerous notable incidents. These include Bobby Charlton’s goal in 1962, the sending off of Antonio Rattín in 1966, the “Hand of God” in 1986, David Beckham’s red card in 1998, and Michael Owen’s moment against Mauricio Pochettino in 2002. Their last encounter was a friendly in Geneva in 2005, where Owen scored two late goals to secure a win for England after Juan Román Riquelme had seemingly inspired Argentina.

England also faces its own semi-final traumas, including the penalty shootout defeat to West Germany in Turin in 1990 and the loss to Croatia in Moscow in 2018. In the current tournament, England has shown strong form, with Jude Bellingham becoming the sixth player in the men’s tournament’s history to achieve consecutive multi-goal games in the knockout stage, following his performance against Norway.

The current Argentina squad, led by Lionel Messi, is aiming to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. Their path to the semi-finals has included a 3-2 victory over Cabo Verde and a 3-1 win against Switzerland after extra time. France, with players like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, is chasing a third consecutive World Cup final appearance. Mbappé has scored in five of France’s six games in this edition, with eight goals and three assists.

Key players and team strategies

The semi-finalists feature some of the most prominent players in world football. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are central figures for Argentina and France, respectively. Spain’s squad includes emerging talent like Lamine Yamal, while England relies on players such as Harry Kane. These individuals are expected to play pivotal roles in their teams’ pursuit of a place in the final.

France’s tactical approach under their coach has evolved, with the current iteration featuring four attackers, including Mbappé through the middle and drifting left, Dembélé on the right, and Bradley Barcola offering speed on the left, with Olise playing in an advanced midfield role. This offensive setup is complemented by a strong defence that has kept opponents’ xG figures significantly low in the knockout rounds. Argentina’s strategy is designed to maximise Messi’s impact, with other players providing the necessary movement and defensive cover. Coach Lionel Scaloni can adapt between a 4-3-3 and variations of a 4-4-2 formation.

The scarcity of World Cup games contributes to their significance, with each match drawing immense attention and becoming a part of football culture. The upcoming semi-finals are anticipated to be highly competitive, with both Spain and France, and Argentina and England, bringing rich histories and strong current forms to their respective contests.

The first semi-final between Spain and France is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Source: theguardian.com