The controversial semi-finals that favored the greats of FIFA
Spain against France and England against Argentina will compete for the two available tickets for the grand final of the 2026 World Cup in reserved duels
Argentina's 3-1 victory over Switzerland in Kansas City sealed a historic event. For the first time in the World Cup, the four best teams in the FIFA qualifying table will compete in the semifinals. The predictions came true and the tournament enters its most exciting phase in the duels between the Albiceleste vs. England and Spain vs. France.
Argentina, current world champion and number two on the list, will seek its second consecutive final. The challenge will be huge. They will face England (4th in the ranking) in a reserved duel in Atlanta, Georgia.
The South American team does not arrive at its best level. They have won their last games in extremis, but they have a determining factor: Lionel Messi. To advance to the final, the team will need the strength of its great figures:
Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez (Goalkeeper)
Cristian 'Cuti' Romero (Defense)
Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes (Media)
The power of the 'Three Lions'
England arrives at an impeccable physical and historical moment. They have just eliminated Mexico with authority (3-2) at the Azteca Stadium. Their squad is full of stars who shine among the European elite:
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)
This clash revives the historic rivalry of Mexico 86. The English will seek to shake off, once and for all, the ghost of Diego Armando Maradona's famous “Hand of God.” It should be noted that England will be the first Top 10 rival that Argentina faces in this tournament, after beating Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland.
France vs Spain: The Gauls start as favorites
France and Spain will star in a high-caliber semifinal. This will be only their second meeting in a World Cup. The only precedent favors the French: a 3-1 in the second round of Germany 2006, where they overcame a goal from David Villa with goals from Ribéry, Vieira and Zidane.
The French seek the second title in three consecutive finals
France will play its third consecutive World Cup semi-final (Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and North America 2026). Didier Deschamps' team looks like the most dominant in the tournament. Led by Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, the Gauls have already left Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco on their way.
The weight of history in figures
The four semi-finalists have a total of 7 world titles, which anticipates a highly balanced prelude to the final:
Argentina: 3 titles (1978, 1986, 2022) | Last final: 2022
France: 2 titles (1998, 2018) | Last final: 2022
Spain: 1 title (2010) | Last final: 2010
England: 1 title (1966) | Last final: 1966
The longest drought: England is the team that has not played a final for the longest time. He has been waiting for six decades since he lifted the cup in his own territory in 1966.
In this way, the semifinals begin wrapped in intense controversy. The reason is clear: the path of the four giants was significantly smoothed because none of them faced rivals from the FIFA Top 10 before this phase. The real elite world championship starts now.