Today, 13 July, the 2026 World Cup enters its pre-final pause: the quarter-finals are done, and the first semi-final — France vs Spain — kicks off tomorrow, 14 July, at 22:00 Kyiv time in Dallas. The 2026 World Cup format with 48 teams, whose rules provided for an expanded bracket of 12 groups and an additional round of 32, delivered exactly what it promised: the strongest survived. For the first time in tournament history, all four semi-finalists are the top 4 in the FIFA rankings at the start of the tournament.
How the 48-team format works at the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup is the first World Cup with 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four. From each group, the top two sides advanced to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed teams — giving 32 participants in the round of 32. This added one extra round compared to the 32-team format (64 matches in 2022 vs 104 matches now). It was precisely this additional round that eliminated giants such as Brazil (lost to Norway 1–2) and the Netherlands (knocked out by Morocco on penalties). Read more about how the format works here.
12 groups of 4: who advanced to the knockout stage and how
All four semi-finalists went through the group stage unbeaten. France won all six of their tournament matches, scoring 16 goals and conceding just 2. Spain drew with Cape Verde in the opening round but did not lose a single match after that, conceding only one goal throughout the entire tournament — to Belgium in the quarter-final. Argentina and England also remained unbeaten, although both sides drew once in the group stage. Overall, the four teams share a combined record of 22 wins, 0 losses, 2 draws across the entire tournament.
The best eight third-placed teams rule
The mechanism of the eight best third-placed teams was one of the key storylines of the group stage at this World Cup. From 12 groups, it was not only the top two teams that advanced to the knockout stage, but also the eight best third-placed sides — ranked by points, goal difference and goals scored. This gave teams such as Paraguay and Ecuador the chance to continue in the tournament. Paraguay made it all the way to the round of 16, where they were beaten by France 0–1. How the knockout stage works after the group phase is explained in this article.
Scenarios
Scenario 1 — France beat Spain in 90 minutes. Les Bleus lead the tournament in goals (16) and goal difference (+14). Mbappé and Dembélé are the first pair of teammates to score five goals each at a single World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002. If Spain cannot neutralise the Mbappé–Dembélé–Olise attacking triangle, France will reach the final without needing extra time.
Scenario 2 — Spain hold the score and settle the match with a late goal. The Iberians have already scored decisive late goals twice in this tournament through Mikel Merino (90+1 against Portugal, 88th minute against Belgium). If Spain shut down the centre and play on the counter-attack, they are capable of repeating this scenario even against the tournament's best attack.
Scenario 3 — Argentina go to extra time again. In all three of their knockout matches, Argentina either played extra time or came from behind late on. Against England, who have also played two overtimes in the knockout rounds, there is a strong chance of a tight match with a minimal scoreline or a penalty shootout. Messi has 8 goals in 6 matches, but Thomas Tuchel will certainly have a plan to neutralise the Argentine captain.
What to watch today and tomorrow
Tonight is a rest day ahead of the first semi-final, so the focus shifts to analysis and training reports. Tomorrow, 14 July at 22:00 Kyiv time, France face Spain in Dallas: a match between two teams that have conceded just 3 goals combined throughout the entire tournament. The key question is whether the Spanish defence can stop Mbappé the way they have stopped everyone else. A detailed analysis of the bracket and the paths to the final is available here.
See also: Argentina survived Cape Verde's miracle, Egypt advanced on penalties: the night of…
Photo: Sean Leahy · Editorial (source)
