The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Who did what, where, when, and why it matters. Not a summary of everything — the one thing that makes someone stop scrolling. A reader who only reads this paragraph must understand what happened.
Argentina, the current champions, secured a spot in the final four by defeating 10-man Switzerland in extra time, thanks to a stunning strike by Julian Alvarez and a Lautaro Martinez goal.
A month after the expanded, 48-team tournament kicked off, the World Cup is down to the semi-final stage, with France and Spain preparing to face off on Tuesday before holders Argentina renew their bitter rivalry with England the following day.
The South Americans and their talisman Lionel Messi were the last team to clinch a spot in the final four when they overcame 10-man Switzerland in extra time late Saturday in Kansas City.
A stunning strike by Julian Alvarez and a Lautaro Martinez goal right at the death settled that quarter-final in Argentina’s favour after Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye had responded to Alexis Mac Allister’s opener to force extra time.
Argentina are bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962 and now head to Atlanta to play an England side led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Aiming to win a first major trophy since 1966, England had Bellingham to thank on Saturday as his two goals secured a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in Miami.“The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but not happy with the performance… we were very lucky today,” admitted England coach Thomas Tuchel.
It is just the fourth time England have reached a World Cup semi-final, after 1966, 1990 and 2018. They have lost their last two, while Argentina have won on each of their six previous semi-final appearances.
Wednesday’s clash comes 40 years after a seismic encounter in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico.
Argentina secured a 2-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca with two goals from Diego Maradona — one the infamous “Hand of God”, and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the greatest ever World Cup goals.
For Maradona’s heir, Messi, it will be his 206th international appearance, but his first ever against England.
The match will also take place against the backdrop of a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Britain sent a military taskforce in 1982 to reclaim the islands after Argentine troops invaded.“The message is this is a football game. That’s what I can say,” insisted Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
“It is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach and this is a football game and that’s all.”
The winners of that game will advance to the July 19 final at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York City, where they will face France or Spain.
France and Spain are facing off in Arlington, just outside Dallas, on Tuesday in a repeat of their meeting in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
For the first time at a World Cup, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart.
So, the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are almost upon us, bringing together some of the finest footballing talent the world has to offer.
And now, let’s dive into the meat of what happened.
The World Cup was supposed to have 32 teams, but the format was changed to 48 teams before the tournament began, which led to more games and extra revenue for FIFA.
This change in format has been a topic of discussion throughout the tournament, with some praising the increased action and others criticizing the expanded field for diluting the quality of play.
For one thing, more teams meant more chances for lesser-known players to shine. Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old winger for Spain, scored his first goal in the World Cup against Germany in the group stages.
Lamine’s performance caught everyone's attention, especially after he scored the winning goal for Spain against Portugal in the quarter-finals.
He now has three goals in the World Cup and has become the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the competition's history. But despite his talent, Yamal has struggled with anxiety, which has impacted his play. “I think Lamine needs to calm the anxiety he sometimes has because he wants to show how important a player he is for us,” Spain captain Rodri said Sunday.
Meanwhile, France’s talisman Kylian Mbappe has had an extraordinary impact, scoring eight goals, including one in the quarter-final win over Morocco.
Mbappe is tied with Messi in the race for the golden boot, and one behind the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.
But Mbappe's success has been marred by controversy. Spain’s conservative ex-prime minister Mariano Rajoy faced criticism Sunday after saying the France team had “no French players”. The comment, published in an opinion piece in Spanish online news site El Debate, was condemned by Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as “xenophobic”. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told French channel BFMTV that Rajoy’s comment was “absolutely unacceptable”.