World Cup semifinals start Tuesday, July 14. What you need to know

The FIFA Men’s World Cup is down to four semifinalists, each nation grasping to reach the final that crowns soccer’s world champion on Sunday, July 19.

France and Spain battle it out on Tuesday, July 14, starting at 3 p.m. England and Argentina go at it beginning at 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 15.

Everything you need to know: FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 coverage from USA TODAY

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Where to watch FIFA World Cup semifinals

Both matches will air in the United States with options that include Fox and Telemundo, along with streaming on Fox One and Fox Sports apps.

France vs. Spain will be at Dallas Stadium (the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium). England vs. Argentina will be at Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes Benz Stadium). The tournament, which began June 11 with 48 nations competing, encompassed stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Where is the final match?

The final will be played at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19. (The third-place match will be Saturday, July 18, in Miami).

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What to know about the semifinals

Here’s what to know about the semifinalists and their top players.

It marks the first time in World Cup history that teams ranked in the top four by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, made it to the semifinals.

Spain versus France

Ahead of the tournament, sportswriters tapped either France or Spain as favorites to win it all.

France, which won the 1998 and 2018 cups, has powered through the 2026 edition. Star Kylian Mbappe is the tournament’s current joint lead scorer with Argentina’s Lionel Messi. France’s Ousmane Dembele has racked up goals, too, and playmaker Michael Olise has dazzled for Les Bleus, as the team is known.

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Spain’s possession power and eye-catching combination play have largely smothered teams. Only one goal has been scored against La Furia Roja. Mikel Oyarzabal has scored four Spain goals. Mikel Merino has provided recent scoring heroics when Spain needed it. Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old phenom capable of wondrous dribbling, will also be one to keep an eye on.

Spain won its first World Cup in 2010.

Argentina versus England

Argentina vs. England is awash in history and context.

At 1986’s World Cup, Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored two famous goals against England. The first, known as the hand of God goal, was highly controversial, while the next was deemed goal of the 20th century. In the latter, Maradona dribbled all the way through player after player to score. Argentina won the ’86 cup. It came a few years after the two nations fought a war over islands that England calls the Falklands and Argentina calls the Malvinas.

In 2026, Messi, who at 39 is co-topping the cup’s goal scoring while most other teams’ top scorers are in their 20s, leads Argentina. Julian Alvarez scored a stunner against Switzerland to get Argentina into the semifinal. But the Albiceleste (white and sky blue), as the team is known, has had to battle back after giving up goals in a number of matches to make it to the next stage. Lautaro Martinez is among other potential goal scorers to watch.

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Argentina is attempting to win back-to-back World Cups. At 2022’s tournament held in Qatar, Argentina won one of the most enthralling finals ever over France. However, the last nation to win back-to-back men’s cups was Brazil — back in 1958 and 1962.

England, led by top scorers Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, narrowly defeated Norway and its star Erling Haaland, to reach the semifinal. Along the way, the Three Lions, as England is known, managed to overcome a terrific Mexican national team in one of the tournament’s best matches at Mexico City’s famed Estadio Azteca.

England won the cup in 1966.

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Column: The United States hosted the World Cup in 1994. How soccer has grown

Top goal scorers have scored lots of goals

The 2026 tournament has uniformly put star power on display (which isn’t how it always works out). Most top goal scorers have hit their stride: Messi, Mbappe, Kane, Bellingham, and Dembele are all duking it out to be the top. Mbappe has 8 goals and 3 assists; Messi has 8 goals and 2 assists. Even teams that exited had stars on fire, Norway’s Haaland and Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. among them.

Tartan Army bagpipers, the Vikings’ ‘ro!’ and more stories

It’s also been a World Cup rich with story.

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There have been news reports and mentions about controversy over use of VAR — the video assistant referee system — that affected some goals and fouls being counted and for whom.

But there was also social media featuring fans from other nations getting tastes of Americana: stops at enormous Buc-ee’s, giant soda and ice refills, lobster rolls in New England, cheese steaks in Philly, mammoth steaks and barbecue in Texas, Kansas City-style barbecue, too, and a plethora of fast-food spots.

Scotland‘s fans, the Tartan Army, with its kilted fans and bagpipes, took over the Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, area and later, Miami, to support their underdog team. They have an earworm of a song and video to go with their chant, “No Scotland, No Party!”

A duck named Merlin, wearing a Mexico team shirt, went viral on social media as fans of El Tri, Mexico’s national team, turned out in support.

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DR Congo’s fans included superfan Lumumba Vea, who is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga and is known for standing statue-like for a full match, wearing a suit and his arm raised, USA TODAY reported.

Vozinha, goalkeeper for first-time World Cup qualifier Cabo Verde, drew plaudits — and amassed an enormous Instagram following — for his gutsy performance against teams such as Spain and Argentina.

Norway’s fans rowed their team into the quarterfinals. They took seating positions in stadiums, in Times Square, and apparently even on a moving escalator: A drummer hit a beat, rows of fans made a rowing motion and belted out a low and loud “Ro!”

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Haaland, the team’s star, on social media donned a cowboy hat and boots in Texas. When Norway’s players exited their plane after arriving home, photos showed Haaland carrying a taxidermy raccoon.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: World Cup semifinals start Tuesday, July 14. What you need to know