TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 2026 World Cup will see only four countries remaining to have lifted the trophy: France, Spain, England, and defending champion Argentina.
France will face Spain in the first semi-final, while Argentina will meet England in the other semi-final. The four teams advanced with different strengths. As ANTARA reported, France had a balanced game, Spain had a solid defense, England was tough, and Argentina had a fighting spirit.
Here are the profiles of the four semifinalists for the 2026 World Cup, according to FIFA.
1. France
Best World Cup performance: Champions in 1998 and 2018.
Road to the semifinals: 3-1 win over Senegal (Group I); 3-0 win over Iraq (Group I); 4-1 win over Norway (Group I); 3-0 win over Sweden (Round of 32); 1-0 win over Paraguay (Round of 16); 2-0 win over Morocco (Quarter-finals).
Best performer: Kylian Mbappe, eight goals and three assists.
France has a chance to reach its third consecutive World Cup final after winning the 2018 title and finishing as runners-up in 2022.
Previously, only West Germany in 1982, 1986, and 1990 and Brazil in 1994, 1998, and 2002 had reached three consecutive finals. Les Bleus are the only semi-finalists to have won all six matches without needing extra time.
Didier Deschamps' side scored 16 goals, conceded just twice, and kept a clean sheet in all three knockout matches.
France's strength lies in the balance between the lines and the sharpness of Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. The pair have combined for 13 goals, eight and five respectively, making them the first pair since Ronaldo and Rivaldo with Brazil in 2002 to both score at least five goals in a single World Cup.
However, the narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay showed that France can struggle against opponents who defend tightly and limit space around the penalty area. They only broke the deadlock through an Mbappé penalty in the second half.
2. Spain
Best World Cup performance: Champions in 2010.
Road to semifinals: 0-0 draw with Cape Verde (Group H); 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia (Group H); 1-0 win over Uruguay (Group H); 3-0 win over Austria (Round of 32); 1-0 win over Portugal (Round of 16); 2-1 win over Belgium (Quarter-finals).
Best performer: Mikel Oyarzabal, four goals and one assist.
Spain is back in the semifinals for the first time since winning the 2010 World Cup. La Roja bounced back from their opening match tie with debutants Cape Verde by winning their next five matches.
The main strength of Luis de la Fuente's squad is defense. Spain has conceded only one goal in six matches, a 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals, while their ability to control the game has limited their opponents' chances.
Squad depth is also a crucial asset. Mikel Merino scored the winning goals after coming on as a substitute against Portugal and Belgium. He became the first player in World Cup history to score the winning goal as a substitute in two different knockout matches in one edition.
Spain's weakness lies in its finishing effectiveness. La Roja was held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde and won by only one goal against Uruguay, Portugal, and Belgium, despite controlling the game.
3. England
Best World Cup performance: Champions in 1966.
Road to semifinals: 4-2 win over Croatia (Group L); 0-0 draw with Ghana (Group L); 2-0 win over Panama (Group L); 2-1 win over Democratic Republic of Congo (Round of 32); 3-2 win over Mexico (Round of 16); 2-1 win over Norway after extra time (Quarter-finals).
Best performer: Jude Bellingham, six goals.
This is England's fourth time reaching the World Cup semifinals since 1966. The Three Lions maintain their chances of ending their 60-year wait for a home title.
Bellingham and Harry Kane were England's top goal scorers, each scoring six goals. Together, they contributed 12 of Thomas Tuchel's team's 13 goals throughout the tournament.
One of England's strengths is its mentality in facing pressure. They came from behind to defeat both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Norway, and they maintained their lead over Mexico despite playing with only ten men from the 54th minute onward.
However, consistency remains an issue. England have conceded six goals and given their opponents several chances to get back into the match. Tuchel admitted that his team made many technical errors and played too slowly in their victory over Norway.
4. Argentina
Best World Cup performance: Champions in 1978, 1986, and 2022.
Road to semifinals: 3-0 win over Algeria (Group J); 2-0 win over Austria (Group J); 3-1 win over Jordan (Group J); 3-2 win over Cape Verde after extra time (Round of 32); 3-2 win over Egypt (Round of 16); 3-1 win over Switzerland after extra time (Quarter-finals).
Best performer: Lionel Messi, eight goals.
Argentina is two wins away from becoming the first nation to defend its World Cup title since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962. The Albiceleste have also won all six of their matches, although they needed extra time to get past Cape Verde and Switzerland.
Messi remains the center of attention in his sixth World Cup appearance. The 39-year-old has scored eight goals and is vying with Mbappé for the top scorer spot. He also provided the assist from a corner kick that Alexis Mac Allister finished to open the scoring against Switzerland.
Productivity and mentality were Argentina's strengths. Lionel Scaloni's team scored 17 goals, the most of any of the four semifinalists, and came from 0-2 down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16.
The defense needs improvement. Argentina conceded five goals in three knockout matches and twice had to go to extra time. This condition demonstrates that the defending champion can be pressured if the opponent overcomes the initial pressure and attacks quickly.
Read: 2026 World Cup: Argentina Survive Swiss Scare, Set Up England Clash
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