World Cup semifinal lineup set as all four past champions advance

Kathmandu, July 12

The semifinal lineup for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is now complete.

The identities of all four teams heading to the semifinals were confirmed after Sunday morning’s two quarterfinal matches.

England and Argentina secured their semifinal spots with wins in Sunday morning’s matches. These two teams will now face each other in the semifinal.

England fell behind by a goal but turned it around, beating Norway 2-1 in extra time.

Defending champions Argentina also booked their semifinal berth, defeating Switzerland 3-1 in extra time.

Before that, two European nations, France and Spain, had already secured their places in the semifinals.

France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup semifinals for the third consecutive time. Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 to reach the World Cup semifinal for the first time since 2010.

All four semifinalists are past champions. Defending champion Argentina has won the title 3 times, France has won it twice, while England and Spain have each won it once.

All four semifinalists also occupy the top four spots in the FIFA rankings. Defending champions Argentina sit at the top, followed by Spain in second, France in third, and England in fourth.

With Norway and Switzerland eliminated in the semifinal round (quarterfinals), it is now certain that no new team will become World Cup champion this year.

The first semifinal will now be played between France and Spain on July 15 at Dallas Stadium in the USA. The match will begin at 12:45 AM Nepal time.

Similarly, the second semifinal between England and Argentina will be held on July 16 at Atlanta Stadium, also in the USA. This match will also begin at 12:45 AM Nepal time.

The winners of the two semifinals will play the final on July 20 at New York/New Jersey Stadium in the USA.