PREDICTOR · VERSUS WHEEL
World Cup 2026 semi-finals: France vs Spain and England vs Argentina
PUBLISHED JUL 13 · 2026 DATA REFRESHED AT EACH BUILD
By the PlaySpinWheel editorial team
The World Cup 2026 semi-finals are France vs Spain in Arlington, Texas on July 14, and England vs Argentina in Atlanta on July 15. Both kick off at 19:00 UTC, and both winners meet in the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
Four teams are left of the 48 that started five weeks ago. Predict both ties with our free versus wheel: each team gets an exact half, one spin calls it, and there are no odds and no betting anywhere on the site. Below are the fixtures, how all four got here, and what each of them is actually playing for.
What are the World Cup 2026 semi-final fixtures?
Two matches, on consecutive days, in two American stadiums. Both kick off at 19:00 UTC, which is early afternoon locally.
| DATE | FIXTURE | KICKOFF | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Jul 14 | France vs Spain | 2 pm local / 19:00 UTC | AT&T Stadium, Arlington (Dallas) |
| Wed Jul 15 | England vs Argentina | 3 pm local / 19:00 UTC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
AT&T Stadium hosts nine matches in 2026, more than any other venue in the tournament; Mercedes-Benz Stadium plays its semi-final under a roof that opens like a camera aperture. The match time converter puts both kickoffs on your own clock, wherever you are.
Spin a winner for both semi-finals
Pick a tie and spin. Each team fills exactly half the wheel, so it is a fair coin-flip in wheel form, with no odds and no betting in sight. Every result is a shareable sticker, and the link replays your exact spin for whoever opens it.
- France vs Spain: spin the tie, or read the full preview. Only their second World Cup meeting ever.
- England vs Argentina: spin the tie, or read the full preview. The rivalry's sixth World Cup meeting, and its first at this stage.
Which teams are in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?
France, Spain, England and Argentina. All four are unbeaten, three are European, and Argentina carry South America's last hope. Between them they hold seven World Cups, and every one of the four has won the tournament at least once, which has not been true of a final four in some time.
| TEAM | CONFEDERATION | APPEARANCES | BEST FINISH | TITLES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | CONMEBOL (South America) | 18 | Champions (1978, 1986, 2022) | 3 |
| France | UEFA (Europe) | 16 | Champions (1998, 2018) | 2 |
| England | UEFA (Europe) | 16 | Champions (1966) | 1 |
| Spain | UEFA (Europe) | 16 | Champions (2010) | 1 |
How did the four teams reach the semi-finals?
By winning their groups and then three knockout rounds each. Not one of the four has lost a match at this tournament. The routes:
| TEAM | GROUP | ROUND OF 32 | ROUND OF 16 | QUARTER-FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Won Group I, 9 pts | Beat Sweden | Beat Paraguay 1-0 | Beat Morocco 2-0 |
| Spain | Won Group H, 7 pts | Beat Austria | Beat Portugal 1-0 | Beat Belgium 2-1 |
| England | Won Group L, 7 pts | Beat DR Congo | Beat Mexico 3-2 | Beat Norway 2-1 (AET) |
| Argentina | Won Group J, 9 pts | Beat Cape Verde | Beat Egypt 3-2 | Beat Switzerland 3-1 (AET) |
The split is neat: France and Spain both settled their quarter-finals inside 90 minutes, while England and Argentina both needed 120. It also means the tournament's two great upsets are already spent. Norway knocked out five-time champions Brazil and then took England to extra time, and all three co-hosts, Canada, Mexico and the United States, went out before the last eight. There is no host nation left, and no debutant fairytale: this is a final four of former winners.
Who will win France vs Spain?
France are two-time champions and one win from a third straight final; Spain won it in 2010 and have been the meanest defense in the tournament, conceding nothing across the whole group stage. They have met at a World Cup only once: France beat Spain 3-1 in the 2006 Round of 16, Zinedine Zidane finishing it in stoppage time. Twenty years on, Spain get the rematch two rounds higher. Spin France vs Spain, or read the full France vs Spain preview.
Who will win England vs Argentina?
The biggest rivalry in the draw, and somehow a stage it has never reached. England and Argentina have met five times at World Cups, from the 1966 quarter-final to Maradona's Hand of God in 1986 and Beckham's red card and Argentina's 4-3 shoot-out win in 1998. England lead that record 3-1, but Argentina are the holders and two wins from retaining the trophy. Spin England vs Argentina, or read the full England vs Argentina preview.
What is at stake in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?
Something genuinely historic for each of the four, which is rare. Argentina are chasing the first successful title defense since Brazil in 1962; only Italy and Brazil have ever retained the World Cup. France are chasing a third consecutive final. England are chasing a first final since the one they won in 1966. Spain, in only the second World Cup semi-final of their entire history, are chasing a second star.
| TEAM | WHAT THEY ARE PLAYING FOR |
|---|---|
| Argentina | A fourth title and the first back-to-back World Cup since Brazil in 1962 |
| France | A third consecutive World Cup final, after 2018 (won) and 2022 (lost on penalties) |
| England | A first World Cup final since 1966, in a fourth semi-final (1966, 1990, 2018, 2026) |
| Spain | A second title, in only their second World Cup semi-final ever (2010, 2026) |
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FINAL JUL 19 AT METLIFE · THEN THE STORY IS COMPLETE
What happens after the semi-finals?
The two winners meet in the World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the first men's World Cup final ever played in the New York area and the largest venue at the tournament at 82,500. The two losers meet in the third-place play-off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday, July 18. A semi-final cannot be drawn: level after 90 minutes means 30 minutes of extra time, and level after that means penalties, exactly how England and Argentina both got out of the quarter-finals.
You can call the whole thing in one go on the 48-team champion wheel, which is still the most popular spin on the site. The full schedule fills in each round as it is confirmed, and the knockout bracket guide explains how the route to MetLife was drawn.
Pick two teams, spin, and share your call:
Open the versus wheel →Fair questions
- What are the World Cup 2026 semi-final fixtures?
- France vs Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and England vs Argentina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Both kick off at 19:00 UTC.
- Which teams are in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals?
- France, Spain, England and Argentina. All four are unbeaten and all four are former world champions, holding seven titles between them. No host nation reached the last four: Canada, Mexico and the United States were all knocked out earlier.
- When is the World Cup 2026 final?
- Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, between the winners of the two semi-finals. The third-place play-off is the day before, on July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
- Who will win the 2026 World Cup?
- Nobody knows, which is the point. Argentina are the holders and the most decorated of the four with three titles, France have two, England and Spain one each. Spin our free 48-team champion wheel or the 50-50 versus wheel to make your call: equal chances, no odds, no betting.
- What happens if a World Cup semi-final ends in a draw?
- It goes to 30 minutes of extra time, and then to a penalty shoot-out if it is still level. Both England and Argentina reached the semi-finals by winning quarter-finals that went to extra time.
- Has any team retained the World Cup?
- Only twice, by Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). Argentina, champions in 2022, are two wins from becoming the third and the first in more than 60 years.