Daily Team News

Final preview: Spain v Argentina — both squads at full strength

Sunday's final at East Rutherford (19 July) arrives with both camps clean. Spain report no new injury concerns — Nico Williams is back available after his adductor layoff (though short of full match sharpness) and Yeremy Pino has returned to full training after his shoulder injury proved less serious than feared. Argentina have a clean bill too: Cristian Romero recovered from post-quarter-final cramps and played the full semi. Scaloni is tipped to restore Rodrigo De Paul in midfield and start Gonzalo Montiel at right-back, with Lautaro Martínez the super-sub behind Messi–Álvarez. Both recoveries are already priced into the model's availability layer.

Bronze final: France v England in Miami — who actually wants it?

Saturday's third-place play-off (18 July, Miami) pits the two beaten semi-finalists against each other. Deschamps says France "will do everything we can" for a third straight top-3 finish; Tuchel was blunter — "nobody of [our] players, nobody of the French players wants to play for this match" — as England chase their best World Cup finish since 1966. Mbappé (8 goals, level with Messi) could settle the Golden Boot here, with Kane and Bellingham on 6 apiece. Expect rotation on both sides — the model treats those reads as uncertainty, not as probability moves.

The final is set: Spain v Argentina

The 2026 World Cup will end with a heavyweight final between Spain and Argentina. Spain, unbeaten through the tournament, beat France 2–0 in the first semi-final; holders Argentina came from behind to edge England 2–1 in the second. The two meet in the final on Sunday 19 July, with France and England contesting the third-place play-off on 18 July.

Argentina 2–1 England — late comeback sends the holders to the final

Holders Argentina reached the final with another stoppage-time rally. Anthony Gordon put England ahead on 55', but Enzo Fernández equalised on 85' and Lautaro Martínez won it deep in stoppage time (90'+2'), with Lionel Messi the creator for both goals. Argentina will play Spain in Sunday's final; England drop into the third-place play-off against France.

Spain 2–0 France — La Roja reach the final

Spain booked their place in the World Cup final with a controlled 2–0 win over France. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty on 22' and Pedro Porro doubled the lead on 58'. Spain, unbeaten through the tournament, await the winner of Argentina v England (15 July).

Quarter-finals complete: the semi-finals are set

The final four is decided, and all four higher-rated sides came through. France beat Morocco 2–0, Spain edged Belgium 2–1 on Mikel Merino's late header, England needed extra time to see off Norway 2–1 (Jude Bellingham with both goals), and holders Argentina outlasted ten-man Switzerland 3–1 after extra time. It caps a knockout run in which Belgium had earlier ended co-hosts USA's tournament 4–1 and Switzerland saw off Colombia on penalties. The semi-finals: France v Spain (14 July) and Argentina v England (15 July).

Argentina 3–1 Switzerland (a.e.t.) — holders outlast ten men

Alexis Mac Allister headed the holders in front on 10' from a Messi cross, Dan Ndoye levelled on 67', and after Breel Embolo's second yellow reduced Switzerland to ten men, Julián Álvarez (112') and Lautaro Martínez (120+1') settled it in extra time. Argentina reach the semi-finals, where England await.

England 2–1 Norway (a.e.t.) — Bellingham double sends England through

Andreas Schjelderup put Norway ahead in Miami before Jude Bellingham levelled before the break; with the tie 1–1 after 90, Bellingham struck again early in extra time to complete his brace and send England into the semi-finals against Argentina. Norway, quarter-final debutants, go out with credit after upsetting Brazil in the last 16.

Spain 2–1 Belgium — Merino's late header breaks Belgian hearts

Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring on 30' in Los Angeles, Charles De Ketelaere levelled for Belgium on 41', and Mikel Merino headed a late winner on 88' to send Spain into a semi-final against France. Belgium's run — which had ended the USA's tournament in the last 16 — falls at the quarter-final.