There’s a clash of the soccer titans in Texas on Tuesday, as France and Spain meet at AT&T Stadium in only their second-ever World Cup matchup. The 2026 World Cup semifinal foes are a combined 9-1-0 in the tournament, and only one will punch their ticket to the Final.
Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal encore brings us a rematch of 1986’s England vs. Argentina battle that sparked so much controversy that it molded the language of sports in Europe. England, Argentina, or the “Hand of God” will prevail, and grace the 2026 World Cup Final.
France is a narrow favorite on PrizePicks to defeat Spain and reach the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, with returns of 1.58x on PrizePicks Team Picks to advance. On Wednesday, England is a favorite to advance vs. Argentina, with a 1.72x payout on PrizePicks, in what’s close to a toss-up matchup.
Below, we’ll get into our World Cup Semifinal predictions in both of this week’s matches, including full match details and previews.
Make your World Cup Semifinal predictions on PrizePicks today!
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2026 World Cup Semifinal Schedule, Favorites to Win for July 14-15
Before jumping into our World Cup Semifinal match predictions, let’s glance at the full schedule for both of this week’s semifinals, including winner payouts and totals for each match via PrizePicks.
Team Picks markets are settled after full-time (90 minutes + stoppage). Extra time and penalties are not included. Find all World Cup markets in the PrizePicks app.
France vs. Spain – World Cup Semifinal – July 14, 2026
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Kickoff Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to watch France vs. Spain: FOX (English) / Telemundo (Spanish)
Venue: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), Arlington, Texas
Winner Payout: France 1.58x | Spain 2.27x
Spread: France -1.5 (4.16x)
Total Goals: Over 2.5 (1.81x) | Under 2.5 (1.92x)
England vs. Argentina – World Cup Semifinal – July 15, 2026
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Kickoff Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to watch England vs. Argentina: FOX (English) / Telemundo (Spanish)
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium), Atlanta, Georgia
Winner Payout: England 1.72x | Argentina 2.04x
Spread: England -1.5 (5.26x)
Total Goals: Over 2.5 (2.22x) - Under 2.5 (1.61x)
Payouts show potential returns on correct PrizePicks Team Picks predictions. For example, 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect more likely outcomes. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.
France or Spain? England or Argentina? Pick World Cup Winners on PrizePicks now!
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France-Spain Prediction for World Cup Semifinals: Who Will Win?
A massive showdown awaits the spectators at Jerry World on Tuesday. Spain and 2022’s World Cup runner-up France were the most crisp, clinical, and invincible teams of the World Cup 2026 knockouts.
Les Bleus and La Roja haven’t met in the World Cup since 2006, when France eliminated Spain, Brazil, and Portugal to reach the Berlin finals before falling to Italy on a tiebreaker. Spain lifted the 2010 World Cup trophy in South Africa, but La Roja was knocked out early in subsequent World Cups, while France has flourished in recent years.
France striker Kylian Mbappé’s Golden Boot chances went up following the England vs. Norway quarterfinal, as Norway’s Erling Haaland was sent packing and England’s Jude Bellingham stole teammate Harry Kane’s thunder. Mbappé has 8 of his team’s 16 goals, assisting on 3 others.
Spain’s prodigal forward Lamine Yamal was touted as the tournament’s terrific teen. But he’s icy so far, scoring just 1 goal on 23 shot attempts (10 on target), per FBref.
France’s attack is up against the 2026 World Cup’s top defending squad in Spain. La Roja goalkeeper Unai Simon’s 650-minute shutout streak set a FIFA World Cup record. Spain has only given up one goal in the 2026 World Cup.
France showed off its elite firepower in the semifinals, while Spain’s stubborn defense was finally pierced for its first goal against.
France wore down and trounced Morocco, 2-0, behind goals from Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
Les Bleus now know the La Roja back line is flesh and blood. Without a striker who compares to France’s beautiful boots, Spain will try to rely on its keep-away style to keep France at bay.
Spain’s precise passing game could hoard possession versus France without allowing too many dangerous Mbappé counters. But it’s less certain that Yamal and striker Mikel Oyarzabal’s attack will find the net vs. a French back line that can rival Spain in stubbornness and stamina.
France’s relentless attack has totaled 16 goals on a tournament-best 14.3 expected goals (xG), per Fotmob. Meanwhile, Spain has scored 11 goals on just 11.7 xG
France keeper Mike Maignan has his own shut-out streak, conceding no goals for over 7 halves of action. Maignan can produce France’s tempo-shifting possessions without Les Bleus relying on turnovers, having attempted 3 defensive line-breaks to Simon’s 1, per FIFA.
Great strikers on both sides are the lone reason anyone’s predicting over 2.5 total goals in France vs. Spain. The kicker is that France has more of those strikers. Les Bleus’ crazy quality could be too much for Spain’s possession-heavy approach.
Lock in your France vs. Spain prediction on PrizePicks before kickoff
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England vs. Argentina Spread Prediction for World Cup Semifinals
Take in the news, angles, and key trends for England vs. Argentina before making World Cup 2026 predictions on Wednesday’s 2026 World Cup semifinals.
England and Argentina have met in the World Cup just once since the “Hand of God” fixture, in which Maradona scored a key “goal” to spark Argentina’s 2-1 win that would have been easily overturned as an illegal handball by VAR. Argentina won 1998’s Round-of-16 shootout, 4-3.
It took drama with Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland for Argentina to reach this semifinal in Atlanta; every match required the full 90 minutes and then some for Argentina to pull ahead.
England survived a shorthanded crisis vs. Mexico before nicking Norway 2-1 in the quarters, also in extra time.
Argentina striker Lionel Messi is tied with Mbappé in the Golden Boot race with 8 goals, though his record streak of goals in 9 straight World Cup apps ended in the quarterfinals win over Switzerland.
England ST Harry Kane is averaging a goal every 104.5 minutes, but he’s been equaled by MF Jude Bellingham’s 6 tallies for England in World Cup 2026, as he scored both goals vs. Norway. Bellingham may be on his way to setting a lasting goal-scoring record for World Cup midfielders.
England manager Thomas Tuchel appeared to rankle Bellingham by criticizing England’s play against Norway in hot Miami. Behind the scenes, Tuchel is lighting the Three Lions on fire.
It’s easy enough to think England has earned its berth, while Argentina has needed underdog rivals, miracle comebacks, and opposing red cards to keep its title defense alive. That’s why England is now a PrizePicks favorite to win, albeit it slightly.
But could a play on the England -1.5 spread be worth a look?
The best predictions are those that can win no matter which side controls the play. Bad beats are like storms that hit otherwise well-reasoned picks. By finding an England vs. Argentina pick that can win in 2 “neighborhoods” of game action, the user can dodge out of a storm’s way.
Taking England’s “long-shot” spread prediction at PrizePicks could allow users to win in different ways on Wednesday, despite the dark-horse status of a pick with a 5.26x return on Team Picks.
If England controls the play, Argentina’s counterattack could be exposed as overly reliant on one player. Argentina’s average speed ranks last at the 2026 World Cup at 5.61 km/h, compared to England’s 5.96, per FIFA. That’s after England spent much of the Round of 16 on its heels.
If Argentina hogs the football, England’s counters could win the semifinal, led by the speed of Bellingham and the finishing power of Kane.
It’s not only Kane that Argentina could be caught defending in open space, but an array of explosive talent. England winger Bukayo Saka gives Tuchel a potential starter or sub who could match up favorably against Argentina’s flanking midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.
Don’t expect England to sit on a lead, if they get one. Three Lions live in fear of a world-class Messi performance. But in truth, England could have the tools to punish a desperate, trailing Argentina in the last 45.
If Tuchel’s 4-2-3-1 tactics can limit Messi’s touches, Argentina may appear clumsy against England’s pace, and impotent on long turns in front of GK Jordan Pickford.
Solving the Monty Hall Problem still makes only a 2/3 chance at a car. Argentina could win with a surprising midfield domination, or by feeding Messi for foul-able runs into the box, as La Selección loves to do. Of course, England's spread is riskier than its winner pick.
But unless stats lie, Argentina is facing a prolific lineup on a day when the breaks — which they have gotten so many of to this point — could finally go against the defending champs. England’s pregame spread may look dandy by the last water break.
Who will advance from Wednesday’s England vs. Argentina semifinal? Make your World Cup prediction on PrizePicks!
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Make World Cup Semifinal Predictions on PrizePicks
So many supporters have been waiting to watch Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal play against Kylian Mbappé of France on the international stage, and now we’ll get the matchup in the semifinals on Tuesday in France vs. Spain.
England and Argentina have been waiting a long time for Wednesday’s showdown.
England will look to advance to only its second World Cup Final in World Cup history — and first appearance since 1966 — with a win over FIFA-darling Argentina.
Don’t wait until lock to make predictions on World Cup matches. Make your World Cup semifinal predictions on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, over/unders, and futures, now available in 35 states. Plus, you can pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right on Player Picks!
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