World Cup reaches final stages: Spain awaits, England and Argentina battle for second spot

The FIFA World Cup is heading towards its climax. Spain have already secured their place in the final after a 2-0 victory over France at the AT&T Stadium on Tuesday. The Spanish defense was decisive, recording their sixth clean sheet of the tournament and keeping the French attack at bay. Spain returns to the World Cup final for the first time since 2010.

The second semifinal between England and Argentina takes place on Wednesday, July 15, at Atlanta Stadium (19:00 GMT). The winner will face Spain in the final on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The third-place match will be held on Saturday, July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.

According to the Opta supercomputer, England have a slight edge, advancing in 51.9 percent of simulated scenarios. Both teams have strong attacking records: England captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have each scored six goals, marking the first time in World Cup history that two players from the same nation have achieved that in a single tournament. Argentina, led by eight-goal Lionel Messi (the Golden Boot frontrunner), are the highest-scoring team at the 2026 World Cup with 17 goals.

France's defeat ended their hopes of reaching a third consecutive final. They had entered the semifinal unbeaten in six matches and had scored 16 goals, but struggled against Spain's midfield dominance. Captain Kylian Mbappe admitted his team failed to execute their game plan.

The semifinal also saw history from Spain's Lamine Yamal, who earned a penalty on his 19th birthday. Mikel Oyarzabal converted the spot kick, and Pedro Porro added a second in the 58th minute. Yamal, though scoring only once in the tournament, has been key with his movement and chance creation.

FIFA announced the closing ceremony lineup, set to take place 90 minutes before the final. Performers include actor Tom Cruise (special appearance), streamer IShowSpeed, singer Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robbie Williams. The ceremony will celebrate the journey of 48 teams across 16 host cities in three countries.