The biggest World Cup in history is down to its final four. After a month of football across three countries and a record 48-team field, World Cup 2026 has reached the semifinals, and the story writes itself: the three nations that hosted the tournament are all watching from home, while France, Spain and England have booked their places in the final week. Here is where things stand as the champions of the world prepare to be crowned in New Jersey.
A Tournament Like No Other
This is the first World Cup staged with 48 teams rather than 32, and the first shared by three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expanded field was split into 12 groups, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a knockout bracket that, for the first time, began with a round of 32. The result has been the longest and largest World Cup ever, with matches spread from Vancouver to Mexico City to the New York area, as tournament organisers have documented throughout.
The Hosts Head Home
For all the buildup around a home tournament, none of the three co-hosts survived to the last eight. The United States were beaten 4-1 by Belgium, Mexico fell 3-2 to England in a tight, high-scoring tie, and Canada were dismissed 3-0 by a ruthless Morocco side. It is a chastening early exit for all three federations, and it hands the tournament’s later stages to Europe and South America, as the knockout bracket now makes clear.
How the Semifinals Line Up
The last four is heavy on pedigree. The first semifinal pits France against Spain on Tuesday 14 July at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The second, on Wednesday 15 July at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, sends England against the winner of the Argentina versus Switzerland quarterfinal played in Kansas City. Both matches kick off in the afternoon in the United States, with the victors advancing to Sunday’s final.
France Versus Spain: A Heavyweight Collision
It is hard to imagine a bigger semifinal. France, the 2018 world champions and runners-up in 2022, reached the last four with a controlled 2-0 win over Morocco. Spain, champions in 2010, edged a thrilling quarterfinal 2-1 against Belgium. Between them the two sides hold three of the last five European Championships’ worth of talent, and their meeting in Texas is effectively a final before the final: whoever comes through will start Sunday as many neutrals’ favourite. Expect a tactical chess match between two of the most technically gifted squads in world football.
England and the Last Ticket
England, champions only once, back in 1966, are through to the semifinals after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Norway. Their reward is a meeting with either Argentina or Switzerland. Argentina arrive as the defending champions, having lifted the trophy in 2022, and started their quarterfinal as favourites; Switzerland have been among the tournament’s most stubborn defensive sides. Whichever team emerges from Kansas City, England will fancy their chances of reaching a first World Cup final since that famous afternoon at Wembley nearly sixty years ago, as live coverage of the bracket confirms.
The Road to MetLife
Everything now points to East Rutherford. The final will be played on Sunday 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just across the Hudson from New York City and the largest venue at the tournament. The 82,500-seat stadium, better known for American football, will stage the biggest single match in the sport, closing out a competition that has criss-crossed a continent since June. For the four teams still standing, two matches now separate them from walking out under the lights in New York.
What Is at Stake
Beyond the trophy, this World Cup is a test of the expanded format that will define the tournament for years to come. Critics warned that 48 teams and more than a hundred matches would dilute the drama; instead, the knockout rounds have delivered upsets, including the exit of all three hosts, and a final four packed with champions. Whoever lifts the trophy on 19 July will do so having beaten the deepest field the World Cup has ever assembled. The semifinals begin on 14 July, and from there it is a short, brutal road to New Jersey.
