World Cup 2026 Predictions for Semifinal Bracket Winners After Examining Odds
And then there were four.
France, Spain, Argentina, and England will compete for the right to play for a World Cup title beginning Tuesday.
Tournament favorites France and Spain kick off the festivities on Tuesday, while Argentina and England wrap up the semifinal round of competition on Wednesday.
Who will emerge from the high-stakes, elimination games victoriously and who are the oddsmakers favoring early?
Find out in this preview.
Schedule
1 of 3
France vs. Spain
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: AT&T Stadium in Dallas
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Streaming: Fox One, Fubo TV, Peacock (Español)
Argentina vs. England
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Streaming: Fox One, Fubo TV, Peacock (Español)
France vs. Spain
2 of 3
Current Odds
France (-154; bet $100, win $64.94)
Spain (+126; bet $100, win $126.00)
The two best teams in the world will clash in the first semifinal match of this World Cup.
Both teams are unbeaten entering Tuesday's showdown, but it is France who will be seeking revenge after losing the 2024 Euro semifinal, 2-1, and the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal, 5-4, to Spain.
In fact, La Roja have bested Les Blues in seven of their last 10 meetings, so as dominant as Kylian Mbappe has been, with eight goals tying Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead, a French victory may not be as obvious as some expect.
Even more so when one considers how suffocating the Spanish defense has been to this point in the tournament. It took until the quarterfinals against Belgium for coach Luis de la Fuente's team to concede their first goal, an outstanding feat given the high level of competition that exists on the international stage.
Lamine Yamal is the budding star for La Roja, but Mikel Merino scored the winning goal in the team's last two games, giving the team another player to lean on. Yamal, relatively quiet to this point, can further establish himself on the international stage if he can compete with Mbappé, as he did throughout his club season.
That is a big "if."
France has been in this position in each of the last three World Cup tournaments, and Mbappe has a championship to his name from 2018. At his best, he is the most explosive and electric player in this tournament. That, and the team's relentless attack and strong defense, position it as a favorite.
Still, Spain has won 37 straight matches and the teamwork needed to accomplish such a feat is exactly the sort of thing that propels teams to championships.
Prediction: Spain 1-0
Argentina vs. England
3 of 3
Current Odds
England (-128; bet $100, win $78.13)
Argentina (+104; bet $100, win $104)
Lionel Messi has been one of the best players in the world during Argentina's World Cup run, scoring eight goals and turning the clock back to the game dominance of his younger days.
Argentina has proven resilient, coming from behind to defeat Egypt in one of the tournament's best games. It has also struggled in the midfield, proving vulnerable to opposing teams' attacks.
England is a relentlessly attacking squad, a tough match-up for Argentina. That they have momentum on their side and are playing with undeniable confidence only adds to the notion that they are the favorite entering the semifinal match-up.
Argentina has relied heavily on Messi to power the offense and carry the team back from the brink too often in this tournament. If the Three Lions can double-team him and essentially take him out of the equation, England has a real shot at competing for their first World Cup title since 1966 and just their second overall.
Sure, that would open up opportunities for another Argentinian to have one-on-one looks, but until there is someone who can consistently prove themselves a scoring threat like Messi has, it is a worthwhile strategy.
Finally, England's speed is unmatched in this particular showdown, and should cause fits for their opponents to try and contain.
Prediction: England advances to the finals
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