# Bellingham's England Draw Defending Champions Argentina as Mbappe's France Faces Spain in World Cup Semifinals

> All four FIFA World Cup semifinalists are now set, with France facing Spain on 15 July and Argentina meeting England on 16 July, ahead of the 20 July final in New Jersey.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Football · **Published:** 2026-07-13 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/football/messi-ki-argentina-se-bhiregi-england-france-aura-spain-men-hogi-diphensa-banama-kntrola-ki-jnga-janen-semiphainala-ka-pura-shedyu-7236 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** FIFA World Cup, Semifinal, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Golden Boot

The FIFA World Cup has its final four sorted out, and the two semifinal pairings look every bit as big as the tournament deserves. Defending champions Argentina and a resilient England have punched their tickets to the last four, joining France and Spain, who had already wrapped up their places days earlier. All four sides are now separated from the trophy by just one more win each, but the paths that brought them here could not have been more different, from a young England side riding raw emotion to a France team that has barely broken sweat.

## Kickoff times and venues for the last four
The first semifinal, between France and Spain, will be played at the Dallas Stadium, with kickoff at 12:30 am late in the night of 15 July as per Indian Standard Time. The second semifinal, Argentina against England, follows a day later, going ahead at the Atlanta Stadium late on the night of 16 July, Indian time. The winners of these two semifinals will meet in the FIFA World Cup final at 12:30 am late on the night of 20 July, Indian time, at the New Jersey Stadium, while the two teams that fall short in the semifinals will contest the third-place playoff.

## Bellingham drags England over the line, one goal at a time
England's route to the semifinal has played out like a script written for the big screen. After finishing on top of Group L, the English side turned every knockout match into a nail-biter. They edged past DR Congo 2-1 in the round of 32 in a tightly fought contest, then survived a five-goal thriller against Mexico in the round of 16, winning 3-2. The quarterfinal brought a stern test from Norway, and England found themselves behind early in that game. Chances went begging through normal time and the contest was dragged into extra time, but when the team needed a hero, Jude Bellingham stepped up. His two goals settled the match 2-1 in England's favour, with the decisive strike arriving in the third minute of extra time. That goal sent England into only their fourth World Cup semifinal in the country's history. What stands out is that all three of England's knockout wins have come by a single goal, a sign of a side that has found a way to hold its nerve rather than crumble under pressure, and a result that has stretched England's growing reputation as a team that thrives when backed into a corner rather than one that dominates from the front. They have scored seven goals across the knockout rounds, but have also conceded in every single one of those matches.

## Argentina lean on title-winning composure to see off Switzerland
Defending champions Argentina booked their semifinal spot in a match that also went deep into the night, beating Switzerland 3-1. That game too spilled over into extra time, but Argentina's champion pedigree eventually told. Argentina swept all three of their Group J matches before the knockout rounds began, and their attacking football has been the hallmark of their run. They beat Cape Verde 3-2 in the round of 32, then defeated Egypt by an identical 3-2 scoreline in the round of 16. Switzerland pushed them hard in the quarterfinal, but Argentina tightened their grip in extra time to close out a 3-1 win. The most striking detail of Argentina's campaign is that they have scored exactly three goals in each of their three knockout matches, taking their knockout-stage tally to 9, the highest of any team left in the competition. That habit of settling for nothing less than three goals in every knockout tie has become something of a trademark for this Argentina side, underlining just how much firepower they have at their disposal.

## France have not let a single opponent breathe
If any team's run can be called the most controlled and dominant of the tournament, it is France's. Having topped Group I, the French have not allowed their knockout opponents to lift their heads even once. Their campaign began with a one-sided 3-0 win over Sweden. In the round of 16 they ground out a tense 1-0 win over Paraguay, and in the quarterfinal they broke down Morocco's famously sturdy defence to win 2-0 and book their semifinal berth. France's biggest strength has been their defence: they have scored six goals across the knockout stage and, remarkably, have not conceded a single goal so far. That defensive record, six scored and none conceded across three full knockout matches, is arguably the standout statistic of the entire tournament to date. With captain Kylian Mbappe leading the line, France's attack has looked every bit as sharp as their defence has looked impenetrable.

## Spain's steady, old-school game keeps working
Spain, too, have leaned on their traditional, possession-heavy style through this tournament. After finishing top of Group H, they thrashed Austria 3-0 in the round of 32. Things got tougher from there. In the round of 16 they beat neighbouring rivals Portugal 1-0 in a match where Spain were in control from start to finish. In the quarterfinal, they came through an exciting 2-1 win over Belgium to punch their semifinal ticket. Spain have scored six goals in their knockout matches while conceding just one, a record that reflects their consistency and the balance in their side. That solitary defensive lapse, just one goal conceded in three matches, compares favourably with the tallies posted by most of the sides that failed to survive the quarterfinal stage.

## Two blockbuster ties, and a golden boot race down to the wire
These results have now set up two heavyweight semifinal clashes. The first pits France against Spain, a contest that can fairly be billed as defence against control. The second brings England face to face with defending champions Argentina, where England's fighting spirit will be tested against Argentina's firepower in front of goal. The race for the Golden Boot has turned into one of the tournament's best subplots too. France's captain Kylian Mbappe leads that race with 8 goals and 3 assists. Argentina's Lionel Messi has also scored 8 goals in the tournament, but fewer assists leave him behind Mbappe on the tiebreaker for now. With both semifinals expected to go down to the wire, neither the golden boot race nor the destination of the trophy looks anything close to settled. Whichever two teams win these semifinals will face off in the FIFA World Cup final at 12:30 am late on the night of 20 July, Indian time, at the New Jersey Stadium, while the two losing sides play out the third-place match.

## What this means for you
If you follow football, these timings matter directly to you.

- **For fans:** The France-Spain semifinal kicks off at 12:30 am on the night of 15 July and Argentina-England on the night of 16 July, both Indian time, so a late night is needed to watch live.
- **For final viewers:** The final itself goes ahead at 12:30 am late on the night of 20 July, Indian time, at the New Jersey Stadium, so plan your schedule around the same late slot.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Which teams have reached the FIFA World Cup semifinals?
England, Argentina, France and Spain have all sealed their places in the semifinals.

### 2. When and where is the France vs Spain semifinal?
It will be played at the Dallas Stadium at 12:30 am late on the night of 15 July, Indian time.

### 3. When is the Argentina vs England semifinal?
It will be played at the Atlanta Stadium late on the night of 16 July, Indian time.

### 4. When is the FIFA World Cup final?
The final will be played at 12:30 am late on the night of 20 July, Indian time, at the New Jersey Stadium.

### 5. Who is currently leading the Golden Boot race?
France's Kylian Mbappe leads with 8 goals and 3 assists, while Argentina's Lionel Messi also has 8 goals but fewer assists.

### 6. Who was England's hero in the quarterfinal?
Jude Bellingham scored twice against Norway in the quarterfinal to send England through 2-1.

### 7. What happens to the teams that lose the semifinals?
The two losing semifinalists will play a third-place match.

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