World Cup semifinals feature all top four ranked teams

France, Spain, Argentina and England filled the World Cup semifinal bracket, and FIFA said it was the first time in tournament history that all four semifinalists were the top four teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking. France faced Spain in the first semifinal on Tuesday, while England met Argentina on Wednesday in a lineup that guaranteed no first-time World Cup winner would be crowned.

The four countries carry some of the sport’s most durable winning records. France are two-time world champions, Spain won the title in 2010, England lifted the trophy in 1966 and Argentina arrived as the defending champions after beating France in the 2022 final. FIFA said the 23rd edition of the tournament could not produce a new champion because every team left was already a title winner.

The semifinal bracket also pointed to how often these nations have survived deep into the competition. FIFA lists France with seven World Cup semifinal appearances, Argentina with five and England with three. France also had a chance to reach a third straight final after appearances in 2018 and 2022, while England had reached only one World Cup final, the one they won in 1966.

The most recent edition of the tournament underlined the weight of that history. The 2022 FIFA World Cup ran from 20 November to 18 December 2022, with Argentina defeating France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the final. In the semifinals that year, France beat Morocco 2-0 and Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 before both sides returned to Lusail Stadium for the title match.

For FIFA, the current semifinal field offered a rare snapshot of hierarchy at the top of the global game. France, Spain, Argentina and England sat at the summit of the rankings, while Portugal occupied fifth place outside the final four. The result was a bracket with little room for surprise and a clear reminder that, for now, soccer’s elite remains concentrated in familiar hands.