For the first time in history, the top four teams in the FIFA ranking reach the semifinals of a World Cup. Spain will face France and Argentina will take on England in an unprecedented round.
The 2026 World Cup has already made history before a single minute of the semifinals has been played. For the first time in 96 years of competition, the four teams that topped the FIFA ranking before the tournament —Argentina, France, Spain and England— have qualified for the penultimate round. Never before has the 'top 4' reached this stage simultaneously.
A 'protected bracket' that has worked perfectly
The FIFA introduced a 'protected bracket' system for this World Cup that prevented the top four teams from facing each other before the semifinals, provided they won their groups. And that is exactly what happened. Argentina, despite the 'curse' of being number one —no top-ranked team has ever won the World Cup—, topped their group and progressed through the round of 16 and quarter-finals without a hitch. The same was true for France, Spain and England.
The system generated some controversy during the draw, when Argentina did not fall into the group that corresponded to them alphabetically and jumped to another. FIFA clarified that this was precisely due to the ranking, dismissing any conspiracy theories. The result: dream matchups.
“It is the first time that the top four teams in the ranking face each other in the semifinals,” sources from the organisation highlight.
Four world champions, a high-stakes duel
The four semifinalists know what it is like to lift the World Cup. Argentina did it in 1978, 1986 and 2022; France in 1998 and 2018; Spain in 2010; and England in 1966. That four champions coincide in the semifinals has only happened twice before: in Mexico 1970 (Brazil, Uruguay, Italy, Germany) and in Italy 1990 (Italy, Argentina, Germany, England).
For the Madrid fan, the Spain-France clash has a special flavour. The Spanish team, with several players from Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid in their ranks, will seek revenge for the Euro 2024, where the French eliminated them in the semifinals. The match will be held on Tuesday in Dallas (United States), in the early hours of the morning in Spain.
“It is a pride to see Spain among the top four; now we must dream,” declared a spokesperson for the Spanish Football Federation.
Almost unprecedented duels: history and rivalry
This will be the second time that the top four teams face each other in the same tournament, but the first in the semifinals. The only previous occasion was in South Africa 2010, when Spain faced Portugal in the round of 16 and Holland faced Brazil in the quarter-finals, matches between the top-ranked teams. That World Cup ended with the title for La Roja.
For the resident of the Community of Madrid, the match on Wednesday between Argentina and England evokes old rivalries, but the local focus is on Tuesday's semifinal. Bars in the capital are already preparing giant screens and special promotions to follow the Spain-France match, which will start at 03:00 local time. A dawn that promises to be historic.
The semifinals will be held in Dallas (Spain-France) and Atlanta (Argentina-England). The grand final will be on Sunday, July 18 at the MetLife Stadium in New York. Whoever wins will take the title and, in the process, either break the curse of being number one in the FIFA ranking or confirm it.
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