The 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to just four teams, with reigning world champions Argentina, England, France, and Spain all still gunning for the final trophy. After 44 teams hit the road, including co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, plus powerhouses like Brazil and Germany, the semifinals are set to be absolutely wild before the final showdown in New Jersey on July 19.
The 'Not Normal' Pursuit of Glory
Lionel Messi himself is calling Argentina's World Cup defense "not normal," and you gotta wonder what that even means for the rest of the field. It wasn't always just Messi carrying them, either; we saw the magic from Álvarez, not Messi, push them through to this stage. On the other side of the bracket, England showed incredible grit to overcome adversity, with Jude Bellingham having a truly big night that overshadowed even an anonymous Haaland in their quarterfinal win. David Beckham was leading the joy after that quarterfinal triumph, and England's coach Tuchel said there's "nowhere else I'd rather be." Lineker is already talking about Jude possibly being England's "greatest ever," which is some serious praise as they look at how they've fared in major semifinals before facing Argentina.Dominance, Drama, and Early Exits
Then there's France, looking totally trouble-free so far. They've won all six of their games and racked up an impressive 16 goals, just flat-out overpowering everyone in their path. Leboeuf even went on record calling their clash with Spain "the final before the final," which tells you everything about the stakes in that one. While these four are battling it out, there's been plenty of other drama shaking up the tournament. Poor Norway got bounced in the quarterfinals, with Haaland Sr. claiming they were "robbed" and their coach fuming about a "clear" TV wire goal assist. FIFA, of course, quickly stated there was "no evidence" of any ball-wire contact on England's goal, but that won't stop the talk. Even with the early exit, Haaland and Norway were still cemented as superstars, earning an A- grade on elimination. We also saw some wild VAR calls, like Embolo getting a red card for diving for Switzerland, bringing up that "mistaken identity" loophole again. The Spidercam debate is still rumbling on too. And yeah, the USMNT's Pulisic totally flopped, a tough pill to swallow for the co-hosts. With the semifinals about to kick off, every single pass and tackle is going to matter. We're on the edge of our seats to see if Argentina can keep this "not normal" run going, or if England, France, or Spain will finally grab that spot in the New Jersey final. FIFA and FIFPRO are even having talks about heat protocols, so you know player safety is a big deal with these high-stakes matchups. You know we'll be glued to the screen for every second!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.