World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals — Ties, Odds and Preview

The 2026 World Cup is down to the last four, and for the first time since FIFA rankings began in 1992 the tournament’s four top-ranked sides — France, Spain, England and Argentina — have all reached the same semi-finals. The two ties run on consecutive days: France meet Spain at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Tuesday 14 July, and England face Argentina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday 15 July. This reference page gathers both semi-finals in fixture order, with their Irish kick-off times, the media-reported prices converted to fractional, the outright market, the route to the final and the Irish viewing detail. Facts are drawn from the day’s sourced data; prices are indicative and were correct at the time of writing.

Contents

• 1. Semi-finals at a glance
• 2. The two ties in fixture order
  • 2.1 France vs Spain (SF1)
  • 2.2 England vs Argentina (SF2)
• 3. Semi-final odds board
• 4. Outright winner market
• 5. Route to the final
• 6. Team news headlines
• 7. Irish viewing guide
• 8. Frequently asked questions

1. Semi-finals at a glance {#glance}

Four teams remain from the expanded 48-team field, and all four are past world champions: France (2018), Spain (2010), England (1966) and Argentina (2022). The bracket splits cleanly — the France v Spain winner meets the England v Argentina winner in the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday 19 July, while the two losers contest the third-place play-off in Miami the day before. Kick-off times below are converted to Irish Standard Time (IST = ET + 5h); both semi-finals occupy the same friendly 8:00 pm Irish slot.

Both stadiums have retractable roofs; in mid-July heat the roofs are expected to be closed with air-conditioning, so play should be climate-controlled regardless of the outdoor forecast.

2. The two ties in fixture order {#ties}

2.1 France vs Spain (SF1) {#france-spain}

Billed as “the final before the final”, this is only the second World Cup meeting between the sides — the first since France won a 2006 last-16 tie 3–1. Recent history favours Spain, who won the last two knockout meetings: the Euro 2024 semi-final (2–1) and the 2025 Nations League semi-final (5–4). France arrive with a perfect record — six wins from six, 16 goals scored and three knockout clean sheets — while Spain bring the tournament’s meanest defence, having conceded just one goal all competition and run up a record six straight clean sheets before the Belgium quarter-final. The swing factor is Aurélien Tchouaméni’s fitness for France. Full detail is on the France v Spain preview.

2.2 England vs Argentina (SF2) {#england-argentina}

The tie of the round for Irish viewers, given England’s cultural pull and the weight of the fixture’s history. It is the first World Cup meeting between the sides since 2002 (England 1–0, Beckham penalty), reawakening memories of 1986 and 1998. England seek a first World Cup final since 1966; Argentina, the holders, are chasing back-to-back titles — a feat achieved only by Italy (1934–38) and Brazil (1958–62). Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, level on six goals apiece, lead an England side missing suspended Jarell Quansah; Lionel Messi, joint top-scorer on eight, drives an Argentina side that has scored three in each of its last four. See the England v Argentina preview.

3. Semi-final odds board {#odds}

Media-reported prices converted to fractional (Irish primary), decimal in brackets. "1" is the first-named team. SF1 prices as of 13 July; SF2 prices as of 12–13 July and indicative.

France are narrow favourites over Spain, with the draw and Spain both trading around 21/10 after a mild shortening on the rest day. England v Argentina is the tighter tie on paper — England around 8/5, Argentina drifting slightly to 2/1 — and books differ by a couple of points either way. For the full market see the World Cup 2026 odds reference.

4. Outright winner market {#outright}

France have held firm as clear favourites for the title; the other three are bunched and the books disagree on the order. Fractional (primary), decimal in brackets, as of 13–14 July.

France (11/8) are the standout, priced almost as short as the other three combined in implied terms. Behind them the second-favourite slot is genuinely contested: some books rate England ahead of Spain, others reverse it, and one prices Argentina as short as 18/5 (4.60) against the 9/2 quoted elsewhere — so line shopping is worth the effort. The dated final-four movement is tracked on the final-four winner odds page, and the tournament-long market on the outright winner odds page.

5. Route to the final {#route}

The bracket is fixed for the closing week:

The France or Spain winner meets the England or Argentina winner in Sunday’s final; the two beaten semi-finalists drop into the Saturday third-place play-off.

6. Team news headlines {#team-news}

The most consequential availability questions across the last four:

• France — Aurélien Tchouaméni is back in full training and named in the predicted XI after a thigh problem, though one tracker still flags a doubt; confirm on the teamsheet about an hour before kick-off. Kylian Mbappé is passed “100% fit” after an ankle knock.
• Spain — Nico Williams is pushing to start after a thigh/groin issue; Yéremy Pino is fit (a shoulder sprain, not the feared fracture). No suspensions.
• England — Jarell Quansah is suspended (final match of a two-match ban) and Jordan Henderson is out for the tournament (wrist surgery); Declan Rice is expected back from illness and Reece James is a fitness doubt.
• Argentina — Lionel Messi starts after an eye knock; Cristian Romero is expected to start. No suspensions.

Card accumulation was wiped after the quarter-finals, so only Quansah’s unserved ban carries into the semi-finals.

7. Irish viewing guide {#irish-viewing}

Every match is free-to-air in Ireland, shared between RTÉ and Virgin Media, with RTÉ-broadcast games also streamed on the RTÉ Player. The semi-final slot is a friendly one for Irish viewers: both ties kick off at 8:00 pm IST, in midweek prime time, avoiding the late finishes that marked the quarter-finals. With the Republic of Ireland not at the tournament, neutral interest centres on the England tie in particular and on the France–Spain heavyweight clash.

8. Frequently asked questions {#faq}

Sources (12–14 July 2026): fixtures, venues and kick-off times (FOX, Yahoo Sports, Al Jazeera, CBS Sports); odds media-reported (FanDuel via FOX/CBS, DraftKings via Sports Illustrated, Oddspedia), converted to fractional; team news (Sports Mole, Football365, Yahoo/L’Équipe, ESPN); records and history (ESPN, Al Jazeera, Opta). Kick-off times converted to IST (ET + 5h). Odds for information only — 18+, gamble responsibly.

Related: France v Spain Preview · England v Argentina Preview · Final-Four Winner Odds · Golden Boot Race · World Cup 2026 Odds