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France, Argentina, Spain and England occupy the top four places in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Now they are two wins away from lifting football’s biggest prize.
After 100 matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026, only four teams remain standing.
The FIFA World Cup has produced countless stories and a wave of emotions. Underdogs have achieved the unthinkable, shaking football’s traditional powers, while some favourites have fallen along the way. There have been incredible goalkeeping performances, stunning goals and moments that will be remembered long after the final whistle.
Through it all, though, this World Cup has ultimately belonged to the biggest players. Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembélé and Jude Bellingham have all shown why football’s grandest stage is reserved for its brightest stars.
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The surprises came, but they did not last.
One by one, the outsiders were dragged back to reality. Morocco’s impressive run ended against France. Norway, after eliminating Brazil, could not produce another upset against England. Belgium pushed Spain but fell short. Switzerland stood firm before Argentina eventually found a way through.
What remains is difficult to argue with.
France, Argentina, Spain and England are not only the four semi-finalists; they also occupy the top four places in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the world’s top four ranked teams will contest the semi-finals.
After 100 matches, there is little room left for debate. The surprises have faded, the contenders have been separated from the pretenders, and the World Cup has arrived exactly where it perhaps always intended to: with the world’s four best teams left standing.
Coincidence or careful planning, the outcome is exactly what FIFA would have hoped for.
This is the semi-final line-up FIFA designed the tournament to produce.
The competition’s structure deliberately kept the highest-ranked nations on separate paths through the knockout rounds, reducing the chances of an early heavyweight collision and preserving the prospect of marquee fixtures deep into the tournament. FIFA used the same seeding principle for last summer’s Club World Cup.
Explaining the format last November, FIFA said: “To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semi-finals have been established. This will ensure that, should they win their groups, the two highest-ranked teams will not meet before the final.”
The semi-final fixtures are heavyweight clashes in every sense. Rankings aside, these are football’s biggest nations, and they promise two contests worthy of the occasion.
On Tuesday, France will face Spain at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
France have been ruthless throughout the tournament, maintaining a perfect record with six wins from six matches.
They are also the competition’s highest scorers with 16 goals, while conceding just twice. More impressively, they have yet to concede a single goal in the knockout stage.
In fact, the fewest shots France have recorded in a game at this World Cup is 11. They won the game 3-1 over Senegal.
Their shot totals in the other games:
• 19 vs Iraq (3-0 win)
• 18 vs Norway (4-1 win)
• 25 vs Sweden (3-0 win)
• 15 v Paraguay (1-0 win)
• 22 v Morocco (2-0 win)
These statistics show just how imperious France have been in attack. They have looked difficult to contain going forward, while remaining equally solid at the other end of the pitch.
France also head into the semi-final as favourites to win the World Cup. After reaching the final in 2018 and 2022, they are now just one step away from a third consecutive appearance. With the quality in their squad and a coach capable of guiding them all the way, they have every reason to believe they can do it again.
The clash with Spain will be another stern test, but it is one France will be determined to win. With a place in the World Cup final on the line, they can ill afford to let the opportunity slip.
Spain, for their part, are also unbeaten at this tournament, although they were held to a draw by Cape Verde in their opening game, a result that announced the tournament debutants to the world.
Since then, they have won each of their remaining five matches, conceding just once, against Belgium in the quarter-finals.
That said, France represents their toughest test yet. Based on everything both sides have shown so far, Spain will need more than their trademark possession-based approach to overcome Didier Deschamps’ side.
It is a semi-final worthy of the occasion, and hopefully it delivers all the spectacle it promises.
On Wednesday evening, after what will hopefully be a spectacle in Dallas, another blockbuster awaits in Atlanta as England take on defending champions Argentina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
England have reached this stage through resilience as much as quality, with their biggest stars repeatedly stepping up when it has mattered most.
They drew their second group game against Ghana but have been unstoppable ever since.
Their route to the semi-finals has been anything but straightforward. Against DR Congo in the round of 32, they recovered after conceding first and needed Harry Kane’s brilliance to secure a 2-1 victory. An even sterner test followed against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca, where they were forced to dig deep defensively to preserve a 3-2 win. The same was true against Norway in the quarter-finals, as they came from behind before prevailing in extra time, inspired by Jude Bellingham.
Perhaps that is what being one of football’s heavyweights is all about. Finding a way, even when performances are far from perfect, is often what defines champions. It is also part of what has made this World Cup such compelling viewing.
England’s biggest strength has been the timely influence of Kane and Bellingham. The pair have each scored six goals at the tournament, with many of those strikes coming at decisive moments.
That is something England will look to rely on again, although they may need to tighten up defensively.
They may not always be able to recover after conceding first.
Belief is also growing across England that football really could be coming home. Reaching the semi-finals has only strengthened hopes of ending the country’s long wait for another World Cup title.
For Argentina, meanwhile, it has once again been Lionel Messi’s World Cup. You would hardly know he has already won it, such has been the drive and determination in his performances.
Level with Kylian Mbappé in the scoring charts, Messi has eight goals and two assists.
The group stage was virtually his own stage, with six goals in three matches.
Questions were asked about whether Argentina’s supporting cast could deliver on a day when Messi did not. They answered those doubts against Cape Verde in the round of 32, surviving a dramatic encounter that went to extra time. Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero both stepped up, with Romero’s header forcing the decisive own goal.
They were tested again against Egypt, falling two goals behind before Romero and Enzo Fernández joined Messi in rescuing the Albiceleste.
Against Switzerland, Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, whose strike was one of the goals of the tournament, and Lautaro Martínez, who scored in extra time, ensured Argentina reached the last four.
Argentina, too, have shown moments of vulnerability. Against an England side that has found ways to punish every mistake, Messi’s magic alone may not be enough.
The semi-finals promise two outstanding contests and, for whichever teams reach the final, their place will have been earned the hard way. There are no favourable match-ups at this stage, no obvious path through. Every team left has the quality to go all the way, and every victory will require something special.
Whatever happens, the football world is set to enjoy two occasions worthy of a World Cup semi-final, and perhaps an even more tantalising final.
Which two teams will make it?
We won’t have to wait much longer for the answer.
