Bovada Trading Team Preview: France vs. Spain
France and Spain renew one of international soccer’s premier rivalries when they meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (3 p.m. ET).
Spain defeated France 2-1 in the semifinals of UEFA Euro 2024, a coming-out party for La Roja’s young star Lamine Yamal. Yamal’s stunning goal, followed by Dani Olmo’s winner, ended France’s bid to reach a third consecutive major tournament final. Spain also beat them again in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal.
However, according to the Bovada Soccer Trading Team, that hasn’t stopped bettors from picking superstar Kylian Mbappé and a potent France squad to reach their third straight World Cup final.
“We’re seeing 77% of our bets on France to win,” they explained. “And 75% of the goalscorer props are on Mbappé.”
Trader Team Pick:
- France wins on the moneyline 1-0
Ultimately, the Trading Team had to go with the public on this one as they believe France’s lethal offense, led by Mbappé, would be too much even for Spain’s dominant defense.
Bovada Trading Team Preview: England vs. Argentina
It had to be Argentina standing in England’s first World Cup final since 1966. It was Argentina’s Diego Maradona, after all, who thwarted England in the 1986 semifinals with the legendary “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century.”
Now, a new chapter will be written on Wednesday, July 15th, when they meet at Atlanta Stadium at 3 p.m. ET.
This will be their first meeting since an international friendly in 2005, and the betting action suggests another close match.
“This game is much tighter than France/Spain,” the Bovada Soccer Trading Team said. “47% of the bets are on England; 39% are on Argentina.”
When asked about the action surrounding goalscorer props, they listed the usual suspects gaining the most attention.
“Lionel Messi remains the biggest attraction in the goalscorer markets,” they said. “He accounts for 50% of those bets.”
“Jude Bellingham has attracted 31% after scoring twice in England’s 2-1 quarterfinal win, while Harry Kane follows up with 17%.”
Trader Team Pick:
- Match to be decided on penalties at 4/1 odds
This was as tough a pick for the Trading Team as it seems to be for bettors. Argentina’s tournament experience and Messi’s superstar ability are offset by a gritty England squad that has survived tight knockout games. This makes the 4/1 penalty shootout odds an “appealing value play” for the Trading Team.
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Why Argentina vs. England Is the Most Dangerous Match of the Tournament: Pre-Match
Zach Lowe: July 13, 2026
As they prepared to compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Argentine musical group released the song ‘Pa la Seleccion,’ which begins with the lyrics: “God in the sky and land, like in the Falklands, prepared for the war.” Four years later, Argentine band Palmito released a new anthem “La Cuarta Estrella,” designed to motivate their team to win their fourth World Cup.
The Unbreakable Link Between the Falklands and This Match
For the Falklands, for Diego [Maradona], for the last [World Cup] of Leo [Messi], I want to see Argentina win back-to-back World Cups.”
It may have been 44 years ago, but the memories of the Falklands War, a 74-day conflict that ended in Argentina surrendering the Falkland Islands to British control, still reverberate for millions of Argentines. It’s why, whenever England faces Argentina, it’s never just a football match. It’s a battle for history and national pride.
These two heavyweights will face off for the first time since 2005 in Atlanta, and there’s reason to believe that they could just serve up the best match of the tournament. Both teams have been made to suffer throughout the tournament: after a goalless draw vs. Ghana sandwiched in between two comfortable wins vs. Croatia and Panama, England trailed for most of the game but ended up defeating DR Congo 2-1 via Harry Kane’s late brace in Atlanta.
They then edged Mexico 3-2 in the Azteca despite playing down a man for 40+ minutes, before erasing an early deficit and beating Norway 2-1 via Jude Bellingham’s brace.
As for Argentina, they brushed past Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, before prevailing 3-2 in a heart-stopping Round of 32 clash vs. Cape Verde. And after erasing a two-goal deficit and edging Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta, they then fended off a valiant threat from 10-man Switzerland, winning 3-1 in extra time via late goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
How Both Teams Survived Nightmares to Reach Atlanta
Both teams have been well-versed in winning ugly, but which one will have the upper hand in Atlanta? All signs point to this one being a high-scoring affair.
While Messi has been in unstoppable form with 8 goals and 2 assists, England has arguably the best one-two punch in the tournament in Kane and Bellingham.
The Goal-Scoring Machines Set to Clash
Both teams are skilled at racking up the goals: apart from their 2-0 win vs. Austria, you’d have to go back to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal for the last time Argentina scored fewer than three goals, and you’d have to go back to their opener from 2022 for the last time they scored fewer than two.
As for England, they’ve scored 2+ goals against every team in this tournament bar Ghana.
Why the Over and Both Teams to Score Are the Smartest Bets
Both teams look as if they’re running out of gas after a knockout schedule that has proven far more taxing than they’d have expected, and this could lead to clumsy errors at the back and lapses in focus. Both of these teams have proven that if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile, and as such, we could be set for another high-scoring clash in Atlanta. When it comes to finding shrewd betting options, going for the Over and Both Teams to Score are likely to land impressive dividends and are far more reliable than simply backing one of the two with the Moneyline.
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Spain’s Resilience Meets France’s
Unstoppable Attack in Semifinal Showdown of the Century: Pre-Match
Zach Lowe: July 13, 2026
The World Cup semifinals are finally upon us, and for the first time since FIFA introduced its rankings in 1992, the Final Four is composed of the four top teams in the world and four former champions. England and Argentina will face off in Atlanta, while Spain and France will meet in Dallas.
Whenever Les Bleus and La Roja face off, there’s fireworks. That was the case in the Euro 2024 semifinal, when France took an early lead only for Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo to score in quick succession en route to prevailing with the title. And it was the case in the 2025 UEFA Nations League, when Spain raced to a 4-0 lead, only for France to storm back in a 5-4 defeat.
From Euro 2024 Thrillers to the Nations League Rematch
After kicking off their campaign with a 0-0 draw vs. Cape Verde, Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 before demolishing Austria 3-0. They then faced off against Portugal – who beat them on penalties in last year’s Nations League Final – and edged them 1-0 in Dallas via Mikel Merino’s extra-time goal. And, while they were far from the best against Belgium, relinquishing their world-record streak of 650 minutes without conceding, they prevailed 2-1 as Merino once again made the difference off the bench.
Overcoming the 2010 Jinx to Reach the Final Four
While Spain entered this tournament without winning a single knockout match since the 2010 World Cup Final, France entered it on the back of two straight trips to the final – winning in 2018 before losing on penalties in 2022. They haven’t missed a beat yet, beating Senegal 3-1 before thrashing Iraq 3-0, Norway 4-1, and Sweden 3-0. And after edging Paraguay 1-0, they brushed past Morocco 2-0 to set up a thrilling showdown against the European champions. So far, no team has been able to truly give France a run for their money, but that could very well change on Tuesday.
Why Stopping Deschamps’s Final Tour Is Impossible
“If anyone should be afraid, it should be them — we knocked them out of the Euros,” stated Yamal. “Obviously, we are two great teams, among the best in the world. We’ll see what happens, but we have no fear.”
France will be the favorites going into this match due to their superior attacking firepower.
Even if you manage to somehow stop Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 8 goals thus far, you’ll still have to stop the likes of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doué.
Even if you stop then, you’ll have to subdue supersonic forwards coming off the bench, like Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola. It is a vicious challenge that nobody has been able to handle thus far in North America.
Deschamps Chases History Before Stepping Down
Similarly to how Argentina is playing for Lionel Messi, France is playing for Didier Deschamps, who will surpass Helmut Schon with a record 26th World Cup match. Deschamps will step down after this tournament, and he’ll be hoping to land his second major title as France’s manager. But before he can start thinking about another final in New Jersey, he’ll have to get past Spain – the last team that beat France. Expect a high-octane affair in Texas, and expect Les Bleus to just about edge it.
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We’ve reached the Final Four. The World Cup final four, that is. It feels like there are two types of nations that compete in the World Cup semifinals: either a squad that is expected to be there and is under pressure to finish the job, or the squad wearing Cinderella’s slipper, who are hoping the clock hasn’t struck 12 on their run.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals represent the penultimate step of the tournament, with pressure higher than at any point outside the final itself. The games kick off on July 14 and July 15, 2026, and to ensure fans have the proper guidance to watch and wager on this monster worldwide event, we provide a 2026 semifinal guide with all the details.
What Is the FIFA World Cup Semifinal Format?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal format is straightforward but ruthless. Four nations remain in the tournament, with the winners advancing to the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026.
The losing semifinalists are not immediately eliminated. Instead, they meet in the third-place match, traditionally played the day before the final.
The road to this stage is longer than ever before because of the expanded tournament structure. The 2026 World Cup increased from 32 teams to 48, split into 12 groups of four. Teams advance through the Group Stage before entering the knockout rounds:
- Group Stage
- Last 32
- Last 16
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
With knockout rules starting with the Last 32, every semifinalist has to win three knockout matches to reach the semis, more than any team in previous World Cup history.
In the knockout rounds, if the score is tied after 90 minutes, the match goes to 30 minutes of extra time, split into two full 15-minute periods. If the teams are still even after extra time, the winner is then decided by a penalty shootout.
FIFA World Cup Semifinal Schedule
From the quarterfinal to the final, every match will be played in a U.S. venue. The semifinal schedule is as follows:
- July 14, 2026 – Semi-Final 1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 3 p.m. ET start.
- July 15, 2026 – Semi-Final 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. 3 p.m. ET start.
The crowds will be packed into both venues. AT&T Stadium can seat over 80,000 people, but can be reconfigured to hold over 100,000, while Mercedes-Benz Stadium can max out at 75,000.
Historical World Cup Semifinal Results
The 2022 World Cup semifinals delivered two very different stories.
Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 on December 13, 2022, in one of the defining matches of Lionel Messi’s career. Messi scored once and assisted another goal in a performance that controlled the match from start to finish. Argentina’s intensity and attacking movement overwhelmed Croatia early, and the South Americans never lost control after taking the lead.
One day later, France beat Morocco 2-0 in a match remembered less for the final score and more for Morocco’s historic run. Morocco became the first African nation ever to reach a World Cup semifinal. Despite injuries to multiple starting defenders, Morocco remained competitive against the stacked defending champions.
Since 1994, only 17 nations have reached the World Cup semifinals:
- 12 from Europe
- 3 from South America
- 1 from Africa
- 1 from Asia
Brazil, Germany, and France lead the way with four semifinal appearances each since 1994. Croatia continues to produce amazing tournament runs despite representing a nation with fewer than four million people. They’ve reached three World Cup semifinals since 1998.
Some of the biggest underdogs to win a World Cup semifinal include Croatia defeating England in 2018, Argentina upsetting unbeaten host nation Italy on penalties in 1990, and West Germany storming back to defeat France in the legendary 1982 semifinal.
The Rest Advantage Matters
One subtle but important betting angle surrounding the World Cup semifinals is recovery time. Because the two semifinals are played on different days, one finalist will enter the World Cup Final with an extra day of rest. That additional recovery time can be significant after a month-long tournament filled with travel, extra-time matches, and emotional pressure.
Croatia’s 2018 run is one of the clearest examples. Croatia survived three consecutive knockout matches that went to extra time, including the semifinal against England, before facing France in the final. By kickoff, Croatia had played an additional 90 minutes, while France arrived noticeably fresher and more explosive in the second half of a 4-2 victory.
Germany also appeared to benefit from fresher legs in the 2014 final after Argentina endured a draining semifinal against the Netherlands.
Once the finalists are confirmed, check how much rest they’ve had during the tournament. With the extra knockout match, rest becomes an important factor when evaluating World Cup Final odds.
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FAQ
When are the 2026 World Cup semifinals?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals will be played on July 14 and July 15, 2026.
Where is the 2026 World Cup semifinal?
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is confirmed to host one semifinal. The second venue is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
What happens if a World Cup semifinal is tied after 90 minutes?
If the score is tied after regulation, the match goes to 30 minutes of extra time played in two full halves. If the game is still tied, it goes to a penalty shootout.
Who plays in the third-place match?
The two losing semifinalists face each other in the third-place playoff.
Has an African nation ever reached a World Cup semifinal?
Yes. Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022.
Where is the 2026 World Cup Final?
The World Cup Final will be played at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
We’re one step from the biggest match in sports. The odds for the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals will be live as soon as the quarterfinals conclude, giving players interested in World Cup betting the chance to analyze the odds and angles before kickoff.
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