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By Aurax Desk | July 12, 2026 | 2 min read
Argentina and England secured places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals with quarterfinal victories on Saturday. The wins set up a final-four field featuring Argentina, England, Spain and France.
Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 to book its place in the FIFA World Cup semifinals, with Julián Álvarez scoring twice and Lautaro Martínez adding another goal in a dominant attacking display. Álvarez opened the scoring before Switzerland equalized, but Argentina regained control in the second half as the Manchester City forward struck again with a long-range effort before Martínez sealed the victory late in the match. Lionel Messi, playing in what could be his final World Cup, helped orchestrate Argentina's attack as the defending champions moved within two wins of retaining the title.
Earlier, England edged Norway 2-1 to become the fourth and final semifinalist. England took the lead before Norway responded to level the match, but the Three Lions restored their advantage in the second half and successfully defended it to reach the last four. The victory continued England's strong tournament run after advancing through the knockout stage with wins over Mexico and Norway, while ending Norway's deepest World Cup campaign in decades.
The results completed the semifinal lineup, with Argentina set to face England and Spain scheduled to meet France in the other semifinal. Spain advanced after defeating Belgium, while France eliminated Morocco in the quarterfinals. The four remaining teams include three former World Cup champions—Argentina, England and France—alongside Spain, creating two high-profile semifinal matchups as the tournament enters its final week.
Sources: Information compiled from ESPN, BBC Sport, The Athletic, Al Jazeera, Yahoo Sports and FOX Sports.