The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its decisive stage, with just four nations remaining in contention for football’s biggest prize after more than a month of competition across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Former champions France, Spain, England and Argentina will contest the semi-finals this week, with the winners advancing to Sunday’s World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Each of the remaining teams has overcome difficult challenges to reach the last four, setting up two blockbuster encounters between some of the world’s highest-ranked football nations.

France enters as favorites

France head into the semi-finals widely regarded as the strongest side left in the tournament after another impressive campaign built around one of the most dangerous attacking line-ups in world football.

Led by captain Kylian Mbappe, Les Bleus have looked composed throughout the competition, conceding only two goals in six matches while continuing to create chances through Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

Didier Deschamps’ side will face its toughest test so far against Spain but will be confident after maintaining consistent form throughout the tournament.

Spain chasing a second world title

European champions Spain have once again impressed with their disciplined defence and fluid attacking football.

La Roja conceded their first goal of the tournament in the quarter-finals against Belgium after keeping six consecutive clean sheets, one of the longest defensive streaks in World Cup history.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal continues to show flashes of brilliance following his return from injury, while Mikel Merino has emerged as one of Spain’s unlikely heroes after scoring dramatic late winners during the knockout stages.

Spain will now face France in what many observers believe could be the tournament’s highest-quality match.
England relying on resilience

England have yet to consistently produce their best football but have once again demonstrated their ability to win under pressure.

Manager Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the semi-finals after overcoming Norway, with Jude Bellingham once again playing a decisive role in securing victory.

The Three Lions have shown resilience throughout the tournament, surviving difficult knockout matches against Mexico and Norway despite rarely dominating possession.

England will now renew one of football’s oldest rivalries when they take on defending champions Argentina in Atlanta.

With players including Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, England will hope their pace and attacking movement can trouble an experienced Argentine side.

Argentina seeking back-to-back titles

Defending champions Argentina remain in contention to retain the World Cup despite several unconvincing performances during the knockout rounds.

Lionel Messi has continued to inspire his team, but Argentina have been pushed hard by Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland before eventually progressing.

The South Americans needed extra time to eliminate Switzerland in the quarter-finals after another closely fought contest, highlighting both their experience and ability to find results even when not playing at their best.

Argentina’s clash with England is expected to carry added significance given the long-standing football rivalry between the two nations.

Semi-finals promise heavyweight clashes

With eight previous World Cup titles shared between the four remaining teams, the semi-finals promise two of the biggest matches of the tournament.

France and Spain meet in a contest between two of Europe’s strongest footballing nations, while England and Argentina renew one of international football’s most historic rivalries.

The winners will advance to Sunday’s World Cup final, where the 2026 champions will be crowned.

Football fans in Afghanistan will be able to watch the inaugural FIFA YouTube Creator Cup live and exclusively on Ariana Television and Ariana Sport YouTube channels in the early hours of Monday morning. 

The exhibition match, hosted by FIFA and YouTube in New York City, brings together some of the world’s leading YouTube creators, elite athletes and celebrities in a celebration of football and digital entertainment. The event will be streamed globally on YouTube as part of FIFA’s partnership with the platform.

Fans in Afghanistan can stream the event from 1.30am tonight on Ariana Television YouTube Channel and on Ariana Sport YouTube Channel. 

The Creator Cup forms part of FIFA’s Preferred Platform Partnership with YouTube, announced earlier this year, which aims to make YouTube a major destination for FIFA World Cup content throughout the 2026 tournament.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the collaboration reflects the organisation’s commitment to expanding the reach of the World Cup through digital platforms.

“This collaboration with YouTube reinforces our ambition to maximise the tournament’s impact across the ever-evolving media landscape,” he said.

The Creator Cup will feature some of the world’s biggest online personalities, with creators representing more than a dozen countries. Participants include football content creators, lifestyle influencers and entertainers with a combined audience of more than 350 million subscribers.

Among the creators taking part are Celine Dept of Belgium, The Sidemen from the United Kingdom, Jesser and Deestroying from the United States, Jeenie Weenie from Canada, Noor Stars from the United Arab Emirates, TokaiOnAir RYO of Japan, Kwak Yoongy from South Korea, Kika Kim from Kazakhstan and Viniblogger from Brazil.

The event is expected to include behind-the-scenes content, creator challenges and a showcase match designed to connect football with the next generation of digital audiences.

The Creator Cup also highlights YouTube’s growing role in FIFA’s media strategy. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, official broadcast partners have been given access to stream the opening 10 minutes of every match on YouTube, while selected broadcasters are also showing full matches and exclusive digital content.

Fans across Afghanistan can watch the FIFA YouTube Creator Cup live and exclusively on the Ariana Television and Ariana Sport YouTube channels, bringing the global creator event directly to Afghan audiences.

France striker Kylian Mbappe and Argentina captain Lionel Messi remain locked at the top of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings with eight goals each as the tournament heads into the semi-finals.

Even though Argentina secured a 3-1 quarter-final victory over Switzerland on Sunday to help the defending champions reach the last four, Mbappe retained first place in the standings by virtue of the tournament’s tiebreak criteria.

The FIFA Golden Boot is awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer. If two or more players finish level on goals, the first tiebreaker is assists, followed by the fewest minutes played. Mbappe has provided three assists in 563 minutes, while Messi has two assists in 608 minutes, giving the France forward the advantage.

Norway’s Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals after his country’s quarter-final exit to England, ending his chances of challenging for the award.

England have two players still in contention, with midfielder Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane both on six goals and one assist. Bellingham is ranked fourth ahead of Kane after playing fewer minutes during the tournament.

With France, Argentina and England all through to the semi-finals, four of the top five players in the Golden Boot race will have at least one more opportunity to add to their goal tallies.

France face Spain in the first semi-final on Tuesday, July 14, while England take on defending champions Argentina on Wednesday, July 15.

The race for the Golden Boot is expected to go down to the wire, with every goal in the remaining matches potentially deciding who finishes as the tournament’s leading scorer.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch these exciting matches live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network. For updated schedules follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages.