World Cup 2026 Semifinal Form Guide for France vs. Spain, England vs. Argentina

The semifinals are set in the 2026 World Cup, with superstars dominating the field.

Kylian Mbappé leads France into a semifinal showdown with Spain and budding star Lamine Yamal on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. (FOX, Fox Sports, Peacock).

Then, defending World Cup champions Argentina, led by the incomparable Lionel Messi, will battle Harry Kane and England on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.

Dive deeper into the match-ups and how each team got here inthis form guide.

Spain vs. France

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France: W Senegal, W Iraq, W Norway, W Sweden, W Paraguay, W Morocco

Spain: D Cape Verde, W Saudi Arabia, W Uruguay, W Austria, W Portugal, W Belgium

Spain has presented, arguably, the finest defense of any team in this year's World Cup tournament, conceding one goal in its five matches, to Belgium in the quarterfinals.

That makes them an intriguing match-up for a French unit, led by megastar Kylian Mbappé, who has scored eight of Les Blues' 13 goals in this year's competition.

This is not the first high-profile meeting between these two teams, as Spain defeated France, 2-1, in the 2024 Euros. La Roja also holds a 5-4 victory over France in the UEFA finals in 2025. Spain has won seven of the last 10 games in the series more than enough to argue that they hold the edge in the rivalry heading into Tuesday's game.

France has been here, though, with this being their third consecutive trip to the semifinals. They have advanced to the finals each time and won the entire tournament, behind Mbappé, in 2018.

Lamine Yamal has been fantastic for Spain, breaking Lionel Messi's record as the youngest World Cup goal scorer, and the defense has been outstanding. Whether it can slow the momentum of the leader for Golden Boot honors, Mbappé, and blank France in the same manner it has all but one other opponent, will ultimately determine whether Yamal has the opportunity to play Messi in the finals.

England vs. Argentina

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Argentina: W Algeria, W Austria, W Jordan, W Cabo Verde, W Egypt, W Switzerland

England: W Croatia, D Ghana, W Panama, W DR Congo, W Mexico, W Norway

On the surface, Argentina looks unstoppable, with the iconic Lionel Messi tied for the Golden Boot lead with Mbappé with eight goals. The team's resilience shone in their come-from-behind victory over Egypt in the quarterfinals, and with Messi leading the way, there is no reason to believe the defense will not be able to work its magic against England.

Except that the Three Lions are the best defense the Argentinian squad has seen in this tournament and could very well send the defending World Cup champions home ahead of schedule if Messi and company put themselves in a hole early.

That Argentina has relied so heavily on their star player to carry them through to the next round is also concerning, especially if England coach Thomas Tuchel can devise a scheme that takes Messi out of the equation and forces the rest of his unit to come through in a big moment.

Julian Álvarez stepped up and helped advance La Albiceleste, but there are real questions about the team's ability to count on anyone but the Inter Miami megastar. They are tested, though, having played extra minutes in each of their last three games, and the kind of grit necessary to emerge victoriously from those extended matches is what makes champions.

England features great tactical scoring, led by its own superstar, Harry Kane, and is a disciplined unit. They control the tempo, play strong defense, and have experience in big-time tournament match-ups.

While the third may not matter much against the defending World Cup champions, the moment will not prove to be too big for the English. They are capable of winning and advancing to the finals, where they will look to add just their second World Cup trophy.