2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals preview - France meets Spain, England takes on Argentina

• France and Spain will meet in a historic game, with Les Bleus taking on La Roja as the historic rivalry intensifie
• England has never been closer to securing a World Cup trophy in recent years, and the memories of the 1966 triumph are filling the minds of the nation
• Argentina will seek to defend its title and make history as this is Lionel Messi’s very last World Cup tournament

The past month has been filled with football excitement and at least a few controversies.

FIFA’s decision to strike down a red card handed to US striker Folarin Balogun soured the mood, but this has been forgotten as the 2026 World Cup Semifinals are now upon us, with Argentina, France, Spain, and England now within grasp of the coveted trophy.

With merely hours left on the clock before the first game between France and Spain, Casino Guru News dives into what to expect.

France and Spain both set to cut it close, oddsmakers predict

While France was always expected to make it to the advanced stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and having most recently won in 2018, Spain is a bit of a surprise, having previously finished in the Round of 16 during both the 2022 and 2018 editions of the event.

Now, the team is given about 43% to advance against Les Bleus, who remain the favorite in the match-up.

France has been on a tear, with the team continuing to rely on a strong offense consisting of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, who most recently shone against Morocco, helping defeat the team 2-0, and Paraguay before this with 1-0.

Spain, on the other hand, most recently played Belgium, dominating the game and locking down the fellow European squad, but allowing for one goal to be scored against it out of five total shots by the Red Devils, who needed only a few opportunities to convert into a point.

Regardless, Spain pushed through and won 2-1 thanks to Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino. While France may look slightly better poised to secure a win in the upcoming game, not least by virtue of the team’s overall performance, the head-to-head history between the two squads seems to favor La Roja.

France and Spain played most recently during the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal, producing one of the most exciting games in modern football history, with the final score ending 5-4 following an intense game and a late-game goal by France’s Kolo Muani in 90+3’.

Before that, the teams met at the UEFA Euro 2024 knockout stage and Spain triumphed over Les Bleus once again. France’s last successful meeting against Spain came in 2021 at the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, when the French won 2-1 after Spain took the lead in 64’.

The dynamic has changed in the most recent games, with France taking the lead, but the rivalry between the teams, not least Mbappe and Yamal, is an important piece of the puzzle that can still throw an upset.

England says it’s coming home; Argentina is looking at a second consecutive title

English fans have much to be happy about. Oddsmakers are currently favoring England to win at -130 while giving Argentina a +115. England has been admittedly been a huge surprise at the current World Cup.

While the team is relying on many of the players to have appeared in earlier editions, including captain Harry Kane, the Three Lions have surprised critics, having performed exceptionally throughout the tournament, building on the appearances in 2018 and 2022, and now set to advance even further.

English fans have finally seen a good chance that it is indeed "coming home," referring to how elusive a second World Cup title has been for the nation since their last win in 1966. England has continued to perform well throughout the entire tournament.

The team notably took on several prominent rivals throughout the competition, knocking out what appeared for a moment to be an unstoppable Norway and sending the Vikings rowing home in a 2-1 game. England also took out on Mexico and won in a similarly highly-contested 3-2 game which saw Jarell Quanash receive a red card.

Now, England is heading into the quarterfinals with a lot of hope that it can advance and upset Argentina’s rise. Relying on its striker combo of Kane and Jude Bellingham, the team will have a lot riding on them, while the backline attempts to contain the Messi-led offensive.

This is what the second semifinal game will boil down to - whether England can realize its decade-long dream of securing a second World Cup, and whether its defense will hold against one of the most talented teams in the world.

Interestingly, England has won its most recent games against Argnetina, but the drawback is that those took place over two decades ago. As we get closer to the first whistle, and excitement builds up, two teams stand to make history - Spain and England, facing off world-class opponents.

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