France and Spain are preparing for a heavyweight World Cup semi-final that many supporters believe could have been the tournament’s championship match, while Argentina and England will renew one of international football’s most historic rivalries in the other last-four contest.
After 100 matches, more than 9,000 minutes of football and 292 goals, the expanded 48-team tournament has been reduced to four of the world’s highest-ranked nations: France, Spain, England and defending champions Argentina.
The competition has already produced major surprises, including Germany’s early elimination and unexpected runs from smaller nations such as Cape Verde and Curaçao. Japan and Morocco further strengthened their reputations as emerging international forces, while Norway and Switzerland advanced as far as the quarter-finals.
The tournament may also represent the final World Cup appearances of several established stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk.
Despite the shocks and controversies surrounding the competition, the four semi-finalists are also the top four teams in the FIFA rankings. Their progress has highlighted the importance of tactical flexibility, squad depth and experience during a demanding 39-day tournament staged across three countries and frequently played in extreme heat.
France and Spain Battle for Final Place
France will meet Spain in Texas on July 14 in a contest between two of the tournament’s most complete teams.
Together, the two countries have appeared in six of the previous eight World Cup finals. A French victory would send Les Bleus into a third consecutive final, reinforcing their position as one of the dominant international teams of the modern era.
France enter the semi-final with arguably the deepest playing group remaining in the competition. Their squad provides coach Didier Deschamps with several tactical options and enough quality to rotate without substantially weakening the starting side.
The French attack has scored 16 goals, matching Argentina for the highest total among the semi-finalists. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have accounted for 13 of those goals, making their pace and finishing ability the greatest threat to Spain’s defence.
France have also demonstrated that they are capable of winning difficult matches when opponents restrict their attacking freedom. Their victories over Paraguay and Morocco showed a more physical and disciplined side to the team, with Deschamps’ players remaining patient when space was limited.
Deschamps brings considerable World Cup experience to the contest. He won the trophy as France’s captain in 1998 and later guided the national team to victory as coach in 2018. He also took France to the 2022 final, where they lost to Argentina on penalties.
Spain, however, are expected to present France with their most demanding tactical challenge of the tournament.
The Spanish began the competition quietly but have steadily improved as the knockout rounds progressed. Their development has drawn comparisons with Spain’s 2010 title-winning side, which also started slowly before finding its best form later in the tournament.
Spain will attempt to control possession, dictate the pace and prevent France from building sustained attacks. However, the current Spanish team is more direct than some of its predecessors and is willing to move the ball forward quickly when opportunities appear.
The central midfield battle could determine the result. Spain will seek to keep the ball and force France to defend for long periods, while the French may be comfortable absorbing pressure before using Mbappé, Dembélé and their other fast attackers on the counterattack.
France have also scored six goals from outside the penalty area, meaning Spain cannot simply protect the space close to goal. Long-range shooting could become particularly important if the Spanish defence remains compact.
Spain have scored fewer goals than the other three semi-finalists, placing additional pressure on their leading attackers. Teenage star Lamine Yamal has scored only once, while Mikel Oyarzabal has contributed four goals.
Mikel Merino has also emerged as an influential substitute, producing decisive moments from the bench in consecutive knockout matches.
Spain’s greatest strength has been its defence. The team has conceded only one goal during the entire tournament, suggesting it possesses the organisation required to contain even France’s powerful attack. If the match remains level late in the second half, Spain may be willing to push the contest into extra time or a penalty shootout.
Argentina and England Renew Historic Rivalry
The second semi-final will bring together Argentina and England in a fixture shaped by decades of sporting and political history.
The nations have met five times at the World Cup since 1962, with England winning three of those matches. However, Argentina’s two victories remain among the most famous encounters in tournament history.
In the 1986 quarter-final, Diego Maradona scored his controversial “Hand of God” goal before producing another extraordinary individual effort that became known as the “Goal of the Century”. Argentina won the match 2–1.
Twelve years later, England were eliminated by Argentina on penalties after David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone. The same match also featured a memorable solo goal from an 18-year-old Michael Owen.
Their latest meeting is expected to carry similar tension, with both teams seeking a place in the final.
Argentina reached the semi-final by defeating Switzerland 3–1. Although Lionel Messi has been central to their campaign, the quarter-final demonstrated that Argentina possess several other players capable of influencing major matches.
Messi has produced another series of impressive performances, but England’s defence will attempt to restrict his involvement in the same way it contained Norway striker Erling Haaland in the previous round.
Argentina’s supporting players have shown that they can take responsibility when Messi is closely marked, giving the defending champions several routes to goal.
England’s attacking output has been more concentrated. Of the team’s 13 goals, only one—scored by Marcus Rashford—has come from a player other than Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham.
Kane carried much of England’s scoring responsibility during the earlier stages, while Bellingham has increasingly become the team’s decisive figure in the knockout rounds.
The semi-final is likely to be physically demanding and emotionally charged. Given the history between the countries, discipline could be crucial. A red card, defensive mistake or brief loss of concentration may prove decisive.
Both teams also possess players capable of producing a match-winning moment without warning. Messi, Kane and Bellingham are among the leading candidates to determine the outcome, but the pressure and intensity of the occasion may create an opportunity for a less prominent player to become the unexpected hero.
With four elite teams remaining, the World Cup has entered its decisive stage. France’s speed and depth will be tested against Spain’s technical control and defensive discipline, while Argentina’s experienced champions face an England side attempting to overcome one of its most famous historical rivals.
The winners will advance to the World Cup final on July 19, while the losing semi-finalists will contest the third-place playoff one day earlier.
