The World Cup is about more than just the final, what are the teams' chances?

2026-07-12 20:06:00, Sport CNA

The World Cup is about more than just the final, what are the teams'

The World Cup has entered its final stages, and the four teams that will compete for the most important trophy in football have already been determined. After the quarterfinals, only the national teams that have previously won the World Cup remain in the competition, eliminating any possibility of a new country lifting the trophy for the first time.

France, Spain, England and Argentina are the four national teams that continue their journey. In total, they have 7 world trophies. Argentina leads with 3 titles, France has won 2 times, while Spain and England have one trophy each.

The first semi-final will take place on July 14 in Dallas and will pit France against Spain. According to current estimates, the French are considered slightly favored. The calculations give a 55% chance for France and a 45% chance for Spain.

One of the main weapons of Didier Deschamps' team remains their offensive potential. Kylian Mbappe continues to be the main figure, but France also have Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue at their disposal.

Spain, on the other hand, have shown consistency throughout the tournament. Luis de la Fuente's team went through the first matches without conceding a goal, until Belgium managed to find the net in the quarter-finals. For the Spaniards, one of the most important elements remains Lamine Yamal, who has yet to fully show his potential at this World Cup.

The other semi-final will be played on July 15 in Atlanta and will feature a historic clash between Argentina and England. The meeting comes 40 years after the famous 1986 match, where Diego Maradona scored the goal known as the "Hand of God" and later the "Goal of the Century".

Although the differences between the two teams are considered minimal, Argentina appears to have a slight advantage in the predictions. The estimates give a 52% chance for Argentina and a 48% chance for England.

The reigning champions rely on the experience of Lionel Messi and the group of players around him. Messi continues to be the main point of reference for Lionel Scaloni's team, while England rely on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

In addition to the race for the World Cup trophy, attention has also focused on the race to be the tournament's top scorer. Currently, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe share first place with 8 goals each.

Behind them is Erling Haaland with 7 goals, but the Norwegian striker cannot improve on this figure after Norway was eliminated. Kane and Bellingham have 6 goals each, while Dembele has scored 5.

Unlike the other semi-finalists, Spain does not have a dominant scorer. Their goals have been spread across several players, with Oyarzabal being the top scorer so far with 4 goals.

Another competition that is attracting attention is the Ballon d'Or. The results of the remaining matches could have a direct impact on this individual award.