Sports

World Cup semi-final showdown set after Argentina victory

KathmanduPati July 12, 2026

Kathmandu- The semi-final lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been confirmed after Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 in the final quarterfinal securing the last remaining place in the tournament’s final four.

The completion of the quarterfinal stage has taken the World Cup into its decisive phase with Argentina, England, Spain and France advancing to the semi-finals. All four remaining teams have won the FIFA World Cup at least once.

Argentina booked its semi-final berth with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez against Switzerland.

England also progressed after defeating Norway by 2-1 in another quarterfinal. Spain and France had earlier secured their places in the last four by defeating Belgium and Morocco respectively.

The first semi-final will see Spain face France on Wednesday at 12:45 am (Nepal time). France won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and 2018 while Spain lifted its only World Cup title in 2010.

The second semi-final will feature defending champion Argentina against England on Thursday at 12:45 am (Nepal time). Argentina has won the World Cup three times in 1978, 1986 and 2022, while England claimed its only title in 1966.

Argentina enters the match seeking to defend its World Cup crown for a second consecutive tournament while England aims to return to the top of world football after nearly six decades.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is scheduled to be played on July 19 at New Jersey Stadium in New York. The two semi-final matches will determine which teams advance to compete for football’s biggest prize.