For 30 minutes, it looked like it might finally happen. But Thomas Tuchel’s tactics turned an attempt to defend a lead into a willing loss of control. Bending your defense out of structure invites pressure, chances and chaos. England weren’t trying to win — they were trying to not lose.
For 30 minutes, it looked like it might finally happen.
After a wonderful connection between Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon in 55th minute put England in front of Argentina, 1-0, at the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, the Three Lions knew what they had to do — spend the next half-hour and change keeping the ball out of their net.
And for 30 agonizing minutes, they succeeded. But it always felt like Argentina were closing in on that elusive equalizer, especially with their attacking subs now in the fold.
On cue, Enzo Fernandez ripped a screamer into the top left corner from about 25 yards out to knot the game in a tie in the 85th minute. And a mere seven minutes later, a picturesque Lionel Messi cross was laid right on the forehead of super sub Lautaro Martinez for the stoppage time winner, sending Argentina back to the World Cup final to defend their title against Spain.
It’s the latest installment in a knockout run littered with drama and late-game comebacks for Argentina, and their resilience deserves to be celebrated. But I can’t help but feel like England lost this game more than the defending champions won it.
Forget the fact that they only took five shots and accumulated a mere 0.53 xG. They got on the board first thanks to a lovely ball from Rogers and a really difficult finish from Gordon. After that, their lone responsibility was defending that lead. Easier said than done, sure, but the manner in which they went about it can be pinpointed as the reason for this result.
England manager Thomas Tuchel almost immediately shifted the shape of his squad, opting to put five men at the back and play as deep as possible to prevent Argentina from scoring. Three defenders were subbed on in a 10-minute span before the equalizer as his squad was consistently playing nine or 10 deep. He probably knew that the blitz was coming, seeing what happened to Egypt in the Round of 16, but the emphasis was on preventing goals, not preventing chances.
Thomas Tuchel will rightfully face a fair share of criticism for his second-half tactics.
But bending your defense out of structure can create its own problems. You invite pressure, you invite chances and you pretty much invite chaos.
England essentially never held any meaningful spells of possession after scoring; they just let Argentina put together attack after attack. By the end of the match, Argentina had 1.84 xG, 64% possession, over 250 more accurate passes, triple the number of shots (15) and four times the amount of touches in England’s box (28). Jordan Pickford kept a couple of attempts out of the net, but he was never going to keep that up until the full time whistle.
The dam was bound to break eventually. And when it did, England were flooded.
It’s one thing to want to defend your lead, it’s another to play on your heels entirely. It felt like Tuchel just let Argentina have their way, putting too much trust in his defense — which hasn’t exactly been the strongest — and living with the results. That’s no way to win a game of this magnitude.
It’s like folding at the river with two kings because you fear the man across from you has pocket aces. You’re not trying to win, you’re trying to not lose.
Still, it doesn’t help that England got nothing offensively from start to finish. Only one big chance in the match, a mere seven touches in the Argentina box and two shots on goal isn’t going to cut it in a World Cup semi. Aside from the long ball that set up the English goal — Harry Kane was virtually nonexistent with just 26 touches, none of which came in the opposing box — and no successful dribbles. Jude Bellingham picked the worst time to turn in his worst shift of the tournament, only garnering a single successful tribble while losing over half (7-of-13) of his ground duels.
Jude Bellingham and England let this one slip away.
Simply put, if you told anyone that Kane and Bellingham would combine for 0.02 xG (all from the former) today, nobody would have picked England to win. As such, they got the result they deserved.
It’s a shame for an English team that inspired so many with their grit and determination all tournament long. And it may have been their best shot at ending their 60-year trophy drought; who knows what Harry Kane’s fitness will be in four years’ time, and England’s best young players not named Jude still have a long way to go. But that’s a story for 2030.
And so we have our matchup in the 2026 World Cup final; La Roja vs. La Albiceleste in a game with no shortage storylines and intricacies that we’ll get into as we get closer to Sunday.
In the meantime, England will play France on Saturday for the proverbial bronze medal of the tournament, living with the devastation that they could have finally brought football home this year.
The top four teams in the world. A quartet of former champions. A rivalry with decades worth of bad blood. The budding football rivalry of the generation. Five of the tournament’s top six scorers. The GOAT and the heir apparent. Simply put, we have never seen a star-studded semi slate like this.
Cover photo taken from GMA Network.
We have reached the final four of a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup. And if I’m being honest, it’s the best semifinal lineup the world’s most prestigious sporting event has ever seen.
This is the first time since FIFA introduced its ranking system in 1992 that the teams ranked Nos. 1-4 have each made the semifinal. Each of these proud footballing nations have won a World Cup — a semifinal first since 1990. The four squads feature five of the tournament’s top six scorers, one of whom is heralded as the GOAT while another is chasing that title for himself.
Simply put, we have never seen a star-studded semi slate like this.
Les Bleus vs. La Roja in the budding football rivalry of the generation. The Three Lions vs. La Albiceleste in a rivalry that has decades worth of bad blood.
Lionel Messi and Argentina. Kylian Mbappe and France. Lamine Yamal and Spain. Jude Bellingham and England. All with their eyes set on the final on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.
Buckle up, folks. This week is going to be a doozy.
France vs. Spain
Tuesday, July 14, 3 p.m. ET
I previewed this titanic showdown a few days ago, but there’s still so much more to be looked at within the margins of this showdown to determine what’ll separate these Goliaths tomorrow afternoon.
Truth be told, the pressure is on Spain in this match to do what they do best: control the pace of play, lock down the midfield and limit opposing chances. Luis de la Fuente’s side aren’t looking to live in the attacking third like Didier Deschamps’ French crew (although they do lead the tournament in touches in the opposing box). It took them all the way until the first half of their quarterfinal matchup with Belgium — a whopping 649 minutes — to concede a goal, and it’s safe to say they want that to be the only blemish on their record this summer.
And I honestly think they can accomplish that. They have the superior midfield when it comes to ball control even if Pedri doesn’t start or play a full 90 minutes. Their defense has been ironclad having allowed a miniscule 1.80 xG in six games, and they lead the tournament with an average of 66% possession per game. If there’s a team that can force the opposition into playing its brand of football, it’s Spain.
But you can go ahead and throw all of that out of the window when it comes to this France side. They are simply going to score, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you give them an inch, they’ll take more than a mile. 14.3 xG and an average of 7.8 shots on goal in 27 total big chances at this tournament are numbers that shouldn’t make sense, but they do because this team has established a new norm.
They don’t need much to create an opportunity; something as simple as a giveaway to Michael Olise in the midfield can lead to an Mbappe or Ousmane Dembele goal in the blink of an eye, leaving the defense shell-shocked.
You can’t stop them. You can only hope to contain them. (h/t Roundtable)
That’s what I’m choosing to back. At the end of the day, this game is about scoring. And there’s no more prolific attacking team than the French, who are putting together one of the most unstoppable attacks I’ve ever seen at this level. The Spanish, on the other hand, just haven’t put that side of the ball together with only 17 big chances at this tournament. Yamal is still yet to provide that signature performance, and this run of late-game heroics isn’t a sustainable formula at this stage of the tournament.
de la Fuente is a winner through and through, having never lost any of his 13 major tournament games, seven of which have been knockout matches. But France are just as used to victories, roaring into their third consecutive semifinal. And I just think their attacking pedigree will prove to be the difference against a Spanish side that, quite frankly, still hasn’t put together its best form yet. If that attack figures itself out, Spain should be in the driver’s seat in this game. But if they find themselves playing from behind, it could get really uncomfortable really quickly. So, give me another pair of Mbappe and Dembele goals as Les Bleus reach a monumental third consecutive World Cup final.
Prediction: France win 2-1
England vs. Argentina
Wednesday, July 15, 3 p.m. ET
Speaking of unsustainable winning formulas, is anyone else getting the feeling that this Argentina pixie dust is about to wear off? Just me?
I’m just not very impressed by this side. For starters, they’ve made a six-game path to the semifinal where the highest-ranked team they played was No. 19 Switzerland look excruciatingly difficult. They have relied on a heaping of beneficial officiating decisions — from a bizarre VAR redirect leading to a red card for Switzerland to an unfathomable disallowing of a wonderful Egypt goal and everything in between. Let’s just say it’s not surprising that Argentina lead this tournament in penalties; weird to think that Messi has missed two of them.
I don’t know if this team is capable of putting together 90 good minutes against a team of relative quality, and that would scare me if I were a fan of them. But, they can score with the best of them, leading the tournament with 17 goals and reaching three in five of their six contests.
That’s not to say that England have been the most impressive side either. Thomas Tuchel would be the first to tell you that this team hasn’t played up to par and is leaving plenty of meat on the bone (just don’t relay that sentiment to Jude Bellingham).
But what they have more than any team at this tournament is grit and determination. As such, they’ve won four games in a row for the first time since they brought football home in 1966. Wins against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway were absolute grinds highlighted by resilience and — as Tuchel would highlight — mental fortitude.
This is an English team playing some of the most inspired ball that you can find, led by Bellingham, who is changing the game at age 23. He’s the first player since Maradona in ’86, ironically, to score two or more goals in consecutive knockout games with a total that has ballooned to six. That matches Harry Kane’s number as the two have become the first duo to ever score six apiece at a World Cup.
Jude Bellingham is transcending the game. (h/t Goal.com)
In any case, this might shape up to be the more dramatic of the two semifinals sheerly based on the vitriol these two nations share for each other. A heated 1966 quarterfinal where former England manager Alf Ramsey tried to stop swappings of shirts with the Argentinian players after a win that helped propel them to their lone World Cup victory. The infamous “Hand of God” goal from Diego Maradona in the quarterfinal that’s stamped in every football fan’s brain as one of the cornerstone moments in the history of the sport. David Beckham’s likely undeserved 1998 red card for hardly kicking Diego Simeone, then the Englishman’s winning penalty for revenge four years later. What does the latest installment in the rivalry have to offer?
Probably not the greatest quality of football you’ll ever see, but there will be no shortage of theatrics. Neither side’s ability to play a complete game has led to some of the most exciting moments of the tournament, and I expect that to continue on Wednesday afternoon. These are the only two semifinalists that have allowed more than two goals, each conceding six along the way. Each side’s star players have been the proverbial Flex Seal on the leaking water tanks, so what gives?
I think it’s the aforementioned grit of the Three Lions. They’re the likelier team simply because it feels like they want it more. While Argentina have been getting by against vastly inferior competition, England have been getting their hands dirty and winning by all means necessary. I think they are the hungrier dog in this fight, and I think that will be the prevailing factor after 90-120 minutes of back-and-forth action.
A raucous and thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its final stages as the quarterfinals kick off this evening in Boston. Here’s my breakdown of each game and predictions for who will advance to the final four.
Cover photo taken from France 24.
And then there were eight.
A raucous and thrilling World Cup has reached its final stages as the 2026 quarterfinals kick off this evening in Boston. I’m here to break down each of the four matchups on tap this weekend and predict who’ll make it to the final four.
France vs. Morocco
Thursday, July 9, 4 p.m. ET
The quarters begin with perhaps the most enticing match of the entire round as France and Morocco get the party started in a rematch of the 2022 semifinal in Qatar. The Atlas Lions — who have become the first African nation ever to reach consecutive World Cup quarterfinals — will be looking for revenge against Les Bleus, but between France’s form and Morocco’s health, it won’t be easy.
The French have been bulldozing the competition from the opening whistle of the tournament, winning all five games and netting 14 goals along the way — half of which have come from superstar Kylian Mbappe. When he’s flanked by Ousmane Dembele with Michael Olise conducting everything from the midfield, it’s no wonder why this squad has lived up to the billing as one of the best in the world. Paraguay became the first team to hold them to under three goals at this World Cup, using brute force physicality to do so, but that didn’t stop France from grinding out a 1-0 victory courtesy of an Mbappe penalty in the second half.
Kylian Mbappe has lived up to the billing once again at the World Cup. (h/t ESPN)
Morocco also enter the quarters unbeaten, but it’s been a bit more of a grind. Entering 2026 with high hopes after reaching the semifinal four years ago, they’ve been as strong as advertised, winning each of the last four matches after opening with a 1-1 draw with Brazil. An early goal took care of Scotland before Haiti gave them a bit of a push in a 4-2 thriller. Drawing the Netherlands in a Round of 32 clash that was far too good of a matchup for so early in the tournament was daunting, but stoppage time heroics from Issa Diop led to a thrilling back-and-forth penalty shootout that saw Morocco go through to the last 16. After a very slow first half, they returned to form to knock off co-hosts Canada with an emphatic 3-0 showing.
But, that win didn’t come without a loss. Star winger Ismael Saibari — who netted three goals in the group stage — suffered a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out of the rest of the tournament. Azzedine Ounahi scored two goals after being subbed on for Saibari against Canada, but the tasks only get tougher from here. Morocco will need the finest performances possible from Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi to continue the dream and reach their second consecutive semifinal.
Unfortunately, I just don’t see that happening. France’s form is arguably the best in the world, and I don’t think any defense in this tournament has what it takes to stop the Mbappe-Dembele-Olise triumvirate. It should be a close fight, similar to their matchup in Qatar four years ago, but I see a second-half French flex en route to their third straight trip to the semis, where they’ll be hunting a three-peat of World Cup Final appearances.
Prediction: France win 2-0
Spain vs. Belgium
Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. ET
Spain have been ironclad at this World Cup, still standing as the only team to not concede a single goal despite facing some heavy hitters. We may have thought the sky was falling after opening the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but in retrospect, that was just a sign of things to come for the underdog story of the year. The defending European champions easily dispatched of Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria before grinding out a 1-0 win over Portugal in the Round of 16 that was much more lopsided than the final result would indicate.
Yet, it still feels like we haven’t seen this Spanish team play its best ball. Lingering injuries have meant superstar winger Lamine Yamal and maestro midfielder Rodri have been letdowns, but we all know how scary this attack can be if they figure it out. And that’s what the missing piece is; we can clearly see that this defense is the best in the world, they just need the consistent production from the offense to complement them. He has been outstanding as usual, but Mikel Oyarzabal can’t do all the goalscoring for this team.
The Spanish need Lamine Yamal to be his usual self if they want to win this World Cup. (h/t ESPN)
As such, all the pressure is on Spain in this game. Belgium are essentially playing with house money, still riding the high of a roller coaster tournament highlighted by a dramatic comeback against Senegal in the Round of 32 and an emphatic thumping of the co-host Americans earlier this week. The Belgian “golden generation” is certainly over, but you wouldn’t know it watching this squad, which has played some inspiring ball as of late.
Needless to say, Belgium will play freely and apply the same pressure that the whole nation saw them enforce on the USMNT on Monday. But, it’s much harder to do that against a Spain team that’s certainly more in lockstep than the Americans were. The key to victory for the Spanish is the same as it has always been: let the defenders do their thing and finish off those one or two attacking chances that are necessary to pull away. That strategy has served them well at this tournament, so I don’t see any reason why it’ll stop now. And if the attackers put it together like I mentioned before, this could be the game where Spain emerge as the frontrunners to win the whole thing.
Prediction: Spain win 1-0
Norway vs. England
Saturday, July 11, 5 p.m. ET
It’s been about a millennium since the Vikings last attacked the British mainland, but we’re about to see one hell of an encore from this upstart Norway team that you just can’t seem to take your eyes off of.
We know why that is, of course. Erling Haaland has been an international revelation since the day he netted nine goals in a World Cup qualifier, but it seems like Norway’s golden boy has reached a whole new level of stardom with his dominance at this tournament. Two goals in the opener against Iraq, then two more against Senegal (in a thrilling match that I was lucky enough to attend in-person) before netting the winner in the waning moments of a Round of 32 clash with Ivory Coast was just the setup for a dramatic brace to put away five-time world champions Brazil on Sunday. His seven goals lead the way at this tournament as he’s put an entire nation on his back. Reaching the knockout rounds for the first time wasn’t enough; Haaland has the whole dang thing in his sights.
Erling Haaland has the world in the palm of his hands. (h/t TIME)
Though Brazil may have boasted the flash, it really is England that will be the Norwegians’ toughest test yet. The Three Lions have been on a roller coaster at this tournament, going from an electric 4-2 win over Croatia to a lifeless 0-0 draw with Ghana and 2-0 win over Panama. Harry Kane heroics got them out of a stunning 1-0 hole against DR Congo in the Round of 32 before they overcame the tall task of playing Mexico at Estadio Azteca, escaping with a shorthanded, thrilling 3-2 victory that will live on forever in the English history books. In short, we seem to get a different England side every time we flip on the television, but each iteration we’ve gotten has shown a level of quality that we know is capable of achieving great things.
As such, I can easily visualize another back-and-forth affair between these two teams that have given us no shortage of theatrics. If there’s any matchup in these quarterfinals that screams penalty shootout to me, it’s this one. I can already see the Haaland goal followed by a dramatic Kane or Jude Bellingham equalizer that leads to an enthralling shootout. And, in that case, I just trust the experience and pedigree England a little bit more to get the job done as they continue the search to bring football home.
Prediction: England advance on penalties (1-1)
Argentina vs. Switzerland
Saturday, July 11, 9 p.m. ET
To say that Argentina have taken years off the lives of their fans this summer is probably putting it lightly. The defending champs breezed through a very weak group, winning all three games by a combined score of 8-1, but the knockout stage has been quite the opposite. Tournament darlings Cape Verde pushed them to the brink, responding to every punch with one just as heavy before an own goal off the arm of a defender pushed Lionel Messi and co. through to the last 16. It seemed as though that was where the title defense would come to an end, staring a 2-0 — should have been 3-0, but I digress — hole in the face with less than 15 minutes to go against Egypt. But, perhaps the most furious comeback in World Cup history saw Christian Romero, Messi and finally Enzo Fernandez reach the back of the net and turn the match, and perhaps the whole tournament, upside down.
To beat the champ, you gotta knock ’em out. (h/t CNN)
The Swiss’ journey to the quarterfinal has been much quieter. They’re almost certainly the most under-the-radar squad left, but that doesn’t mean they’re without quality. We saw that shine through in their penalty shootout victory over Colombia on Tuesday night, where keeper Gregor Kobel delivered a masterpiece to help send his team through. It was by far the top moment this Switzerland side has had this summer; I mean, that distinction isn’t exactly going to a 1-1 draw against Qatar or a breezy 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Algeria.
This feels like the most straightforward of the quarterfinal matchups: Argentina are still a top-5 side in the world even through these ups and downs of the knockout round and should be able to dispatch of this Swiss team. But, this will still be a fight. I can definitely see the Argentines getting off to another hot start — probably supplanted by another Messi goal, extending his all-time record — and holding off a late Switzerland push to get back to the semifinals, where their toughest test by far will await them.
Prediction: Argentina win 2-1
Needless to say, these four games should continue to provide the drama and theatrics that this World Cup just can’t seem to stop giving us.
Raza Talks Sports 