The first semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place on Tuesday 14 July 2026 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The winners of Quarter-Final 1 and Quarter-Final 2 meet for a place in the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium five days later. It is one of only two matches that stand between the last four teams and football immortality.
What is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final?
The semi-finals are the penultimate round of the FIFA World Cup, reducing the field from four teams to two. The 2026 edition is the first World Cup semi-final contested under the expanded 48-team format, meaning the teams reaching this stage will have played seven matches rather than six, the longest knockout path in the tournament’s history.
The two semi-finals take place on consecutive days. The winners advance to the World Cup Final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The losers meet in the third place play-off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday 18 July. Unlike every other match at the tournament, the semi-finals offer no second chance: lose here and the dream of lifting the trophy is over for another four years.
Extra time and penalties are in play if the teams finish level after 90 minutes. Five substitutes are permitted, and VAR and semi-automated offside technology operate throughout.
When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final?
Semi-Final 1 kicks off at 15:00 Eastern Time on Tuesday 14 July 2026. That is 20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST in most of western Europe, 12:00 on the US West Coast, 05:00 on Wednesday 15 July in Tokyo and 05:00 in Sydney. The match is one of two scheduled for the semi-final round, with Semi-Final 2 following on Wednesday 15 July at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final?
The match is being played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Known universally as “Jerry World” after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the stadium opened in 2009 at a cost of 1.3 billion dollars and is the home of the Cowboys. It has a retractable roof, a retractable end-zone door, and one of the largest centre-hung video boards in world sport. For the World Cup, AT&T Stadium operates at approximately 80,000 capacity, with a natural grass pitch installed over the usual artificial surface.
AT&T Stadium has previously hosted the Cotton Bowl, numerous college football championship games, WrestleMania, and international football friendlies. It is hosting nine matches at the 2026 World Cup, more than any other venue, including group-stage games, a Round of 16 tie, a quarter-final and this semi-final. Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth and is served by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, a 20-minute drive to the north.
Key Contenders
The identities of the two semi-finalists in Arlington will be confirmed by the quarter-finals on 9 and 10 July at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Until the draw and early results take shape, the leading contenders for a place in the last four include reigning world champions Argentina, 2022 runners-up France, five-time winners Brazil, European champions Spain, and 2014 champions Germany.
England, semi-finalists in Russia eight years ago, head to North America with one of the strongest squads in the tournament and will see the draw as an opportunity to reach a first World Cup Final since 1966. Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia round out the group of established European contenders. Among the host nations, the United States benefits from home advantage and a fanbase expected to swell any crowd throughout the knockout rounds.
Defending semi-finalists from Qatar 2022 were Argentina, Croatia, France and Morocco, with Argentina and France going through to the Final and Croatia taking third place after beating Morocco in the play-off.
How to Watch
Semi-Final 1 is available on free-to-air television in most major markets. In the United Kingdom the match is live on either BBC One or ITV1, with the two broadcasters dividing knockout coverage between them and also streaming on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. In the United States FOX shows the match in English, with Telemundo and Peacock carrying the Spanish-language broadcast. TSN and CTV share rights in Canada, RDS covers the French feed, and TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca broadcast in Mexico. SBS has free-to-air rights in Australia with additional coverage on Optus Sport, and TF1 and beIN Sports share the French rights. Germany’s ARD and ZDF rotate on the knockout rounds, Brazil’s TV Globo traditionally draws a national audience, and beIN Sports holds the exclusive rights across the Middle East and North Africa.
History and Records
World Cup semi-finals have produced some of the most dramatic matches the tournament has ever seen. The 1954 semi-final between Uruguay and Hungary in Lausanne is often cited as the greatest match of its era, a 4-2 win for Hungary after extra time. In 1970 Italy beat West Germany 4-3 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the so-called “Game of the Century”, a match that swung three times in extra time.
The 2014 semi-final in Belo Horizonte is perhaps the most famous of the 21st century, with Germany thrashing hosts Brazil 7-1 in a result that is still referred to in Brazil as the Mineirazo. Toni Kroos, Miroslav Klose, Sami Khedira and Andre Schurrle were among the scorers as Germany led 5-0 after 29 minutes. In 2018 Croatia came from behind to beat England 2-1 after extra time in Moscow, denying England a first World Cup Final since 1966, and in 2022 Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 in Lusail while France saw off Morocco 2-0 in the same city.
Semi-finals are the final hurdle where four-time world champions Germany and Italy have stumbled more than once, and where heavyweights such as Brazil, France and Argentina have all been eliminated in the modern era.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup semi-finals are sold exclusively through FIFA.com and via official hospitality partner On Location for premium packages. The semi-finals were among the most heavily oversubscribed matches in the initial ticket draws, and limited availability is released in later sales phases as the tournament progresses. Category 4 tickets reserved for host-country residents started at 925 US dollars for the semi-finals, with Category 1 seats listed from around 3,015 dollars.
Tickets bought on unofficial secondary platforms are not valid for entry. FIFA operates a regulated fan-to-fan resale platform at the approach of the tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final kick off?
The match kicks off at 15:00 Eastern Time on Tuesday 14 July 2026, which is 20:00 BST.
Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final being held?
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final?
BBC One or ITV1 in the UK, FOX and Telemundo in the United States, TSN and CTV in Canada, and free-to-air broadcasters across most of Europe, Asia and South America.
Who won the last World Cup semi-finals?
At Qatar 2022, Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 and France beat Morocco 2-0, setting up the Argentina v France Final.
What happens if the match is a draw?
Extra time of 30 minutes is played. If still level, a penalty shootout decides which team goes through to the Final.