World Cup 2026: From the original 48 teams, only four remain. Argentina, France, Spain and England are now battling for places in the final at the MetLife Stadium.
The last four is set, and for the first time in the tournament's history it is made up of the top four ranked teams in the world going in: France, Spain, England and Argentina. There is no easy passage left for anyone. France and Spain arrive unbeaten and having conceded once apiece across last five matches.
England and Argentina both needed extra time just to get here, and both spent the last month proving they can win ugly as well. Here is the schedule for the final four, along with where the numbers point for each tie.
World Cup 2026 Semi-Final Schedule
Match 101: France vs Spain Tuesday, July 14, 3:00pm ET (8:00pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Match 102: England vs Argentina Wednesday, July 15, 3:00pm ET (8:00pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Third-Place Play-Off Saturday, July 18, 5:00pm ET — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
Final Sunday, July 19, 3:00pm ET — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
France vs Spain
This is the tie the tournament was building towards before a ball was even kicked. France vs Spain have sat first and second on the outright odds board since the draw was made, and it is the pairing that decides who becomes the overwhelming favourite heading into the final. Both sides have conceded a single goal in the knockout matches. France are outscoring opponents 16-2 across the tournament, Spain 11-1. Their only previous World Cup meeting came in the 2006 last 16, when France won 3-1.
France go in with the slightly better attacking numbers, built on Kylian Mbappé's tournament-high eight goals and Ousmane Dembélé now level with Just Fontaine as the third Frenchman to score five in a single World Cup. Mbappé is carrying a minor ankle knock from the win over Morocco but is expected to be fit, and Aurélien Tchouaméni remains a fitness doubt in midfield.
Spain's issue has been personnel rather than form. Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino have been out since picking up injuries in the same group-stage match, leaving Luis de la Fuente shorter on width than he would like against a French back line that has barely put a foot wrong. Lamine Yamal, by his own recent standards, has had a quiet knockout stage, with a single goal since the group phase, though there are signs he is starting to find his rhythm again.
Who is the Betting Favourite in France vs Spain?
According to latest odds, France are the betting favourites against Spain, with Les Bleus holding a narrow edge in the market to reach the final with a 40% Implied Win Probability. Meanwhile, Spain remain a serious threat with a 29% chance of reaching only their second World Cup final, but the odds still give France the upper hand in this heavyweight semi-final.
France vs Spain Match Prediction
France to win a tight one, 2-1, with goals at both ends more likely than another shutout given the attacking talent on the pitch. Mbappé remains the shortest price in the anytime goalscorer market for good reason, and it would be a surprise if this game did not have his name on the scoresheet in some form. Spain's record of finding a goal exactly when they need one, through Mikel Merino's two late winners already this tournament, makes backing them to score a reasonable single-match play even inside a France win.
Match Prediction: France 2-1 Spain
England vs Argentina
Few fixtures in the sport carry as much history as this one. 1966, Maradona's Hand of God in 1986, David Beckham's red card in 1998, the 2002 rematch that avenged it, this is the eighth World Cup meeting between these two nations and easily the highest-profile tie of this round. Both teams needed extra time to get here. England overturned a 1-0 deficit against Norway through a Jude Bellingham brace, the second goal arriving three minutes into extra time. Argentina led early against Switzerland through Alexis Mac Allister before conceding an equaliser, seeing out a red card to Breel Embolo, and eventually winning it through Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez deep into the additional 30 minutes.
The neutral's case for England is straightforward: they have matched their best-ever tally of five wins in a single World Cup, a mark set during their 1966 triumph, and are the only side alongside France with two players on five or more tournament goals, Harry Kane and Bellingham. The case against is that this Argentina side has now made back-to-back semi-finals for the first time since 1986 and 1990, and has been here before under real pressure, having trailed Egypt by two goals with barely ten minutes left in the round of 16 before an extraordinary turnaround. Messi has eight goals in six matches and, even in a quarter-final where he did not get on the scoresheet himself, produced arguably the most influential individual performance of the entire round.
Who is the Favourite in England vs Argentina?
According to the latest odds, England are the betting favourites against Argentina, with the Three Lions holding a narrow edge in the market to reach the final. Argentina remain a serious threat thanks to Messi and their knockout pedigree, but the prices still give England the upper hand in this heavyweight semi-final.
England are currently rated around a 56% chance of winning this semi-final, compared with roughly 44% for Argentina in the market snapshot behind the opening odds. That makes it a tight contest, but one where England are still the side backed to progress.
England vs Argentina Match Prediction
England vs Argentina looks like one of the tightest semi-finals of the tournament, with both sides carrying enough firepower to decide it in a moment. England arrive with Jude Bellingham in excellent form and Harry Kane still central to their attack, while Argentina continue to lean on Lionel Messi’s control and Julian Alvarez’s movement.
Argentina may have the slight edge because of their tournament control and Messi’s ability to dictate high-pressure matches, but England’s midfield power keeps this very close. A narrow, low-scoring contest feels the most likely outcome, and this could easily go to extra time or be settled by a single moment.
Match Prediction: England 1-0 Argentina
Who is the Betting Favourite to Win the 2026 World Cup?
Latest odds suggest France are the betting favourites to win the 2026 World Cup, with Les Bleus now leading the outright market ahead of Spain. France’s current price implies a 40% chance of lifting the trophy, while England sit next in line on around 23%.
Spain are priced narrowly behind the Three Lions to lift their second World Cup with a 22% chance of winning, while markets only give 20% chance to Argentina to defend their World Cup title.
