France and Spain are the first confirmed semifinal matchup in Mundial 2026, turning today’s match into the clearest step yet toward the final. Luis de la Fuente’s side knocked out Belgium, while France, led by Mbappé, got past Morocco, and that is enough to lock in a meeting between two teams that have already cleared the quarterfinal line.
That is why the bracket is drawing so much attention now: the road to the title has narrowed fast, and the first semifinal is already set. Norway kept moving with a 1-2 win over Brasil and now faces Inglaterra, which eliminated México 2-3, while Argentina stayed alive with a 3-2 win over Egipto and will meet Suiza after Suiza advanced on penalties against Colombia. A related update on who won today’s game in the same knockout run is available here: Who Won Today's Game? Argentina Survives Cabo Verde in Extra Time.
The shape of the competition is already stark. Sin Marruecos and Bélgica, only six selections remain in the tournament, with Europe holding five of them, Sudamérica left with one survivor, and África and CONCACAF no longer represented. That makes the unresolved side of the bracket more than a scheduling detail: one semifinal is set, but the other two semifinalists are still being decided through the remaining quarterfinal path.
For Luis de la Fuente, the immediate reward is simple and heavy. His team has done enough to force a France-Spain semifinal, but the identity of the last two teams is still not settled, which leaves the rest of today’s match cycle with real stakes attached to every result.
