Good afternoon, my fellow fans. The semifinals will begin in two days. Let’s take a look at what’s been happening before the match.
World Cup comments
Messi: First time playing against England, this will be a special match
Messi: I've never played against England before, this is the first time, so it will be a special match, it's the World Cup semi-final.
[Yakin: The referee shouldn't have given Argentina a yellow card; he punished us for his mistake]
Yakin: We dominated the game and completely controlled the tempo. But that red card, we were punished because of a rule that I absolutely cannot understand.
Thabo: In that situation, all I wanted to do was pass the ball to Haaland. But I felt that pass wouldn't go through, so I opted to shoot.
[Hummels: England and Argentina have both performed so-so, yet they can still compete for the title]
Hummels: Now we have two teams that will meet in the semi-finals (England and Argentina), but how should I put it, neither of their football styles really impressed me.
McAllister: There's no need to confuse these things. From my personal perspective, I have the utmost respect for them because, after all, I've been playing there for six years, and they've always treated me the best.
[Norway coach: The ball did hit the cable; FIFA's open admission shows more class]
Solbakken: The ball hit the cable and then fell straight down; there's nothing to argue about. It would be more appropriate for FIFA to acknowledge this.
Infantino: I hope to present the trophy with Trump after the World Cup final; it's a planned event.
Infantino: I hope we can present the trophy together at the final. This has always been the plan—and it has been the tradition in the past—with the president of the host country and the FIFA president presenting the trophy together.
Alvarez: As a striker, scoring goals is the primary way to help the team, but sometimes I also have to do the dirty work and participate in defensive pressing. Our whole team shares the glory and the shame, and as long as the team continues to win, everyone will be happy.
Nico Williams: I was surprised that Germany didn't make it to the semi-finals. I think they are a very strong team, so it's really unexpected that they were eliminated so early.
[Nico: Mbappe is indeed a monster, but we also have Yamal, the best player in the world]
Nico Williams: Everyone knows that Kylian is one of the best players in the world. But we also have one of the best players in the world, and that's Lamin Yamar.
Joe Cole: England will 100% beat Argentina, Messi's World Cup journey is over.
Joe Cole: We have to stop Messi here, we will end him.
[Cubasa: We are the best team; our opponents should be afraid of us]
Kubasi: We just won the European Championship and the Olympics, so I think it should be others who are afraid of us, not us who are afraid of them.
Panoramic World Cup
According to Omani journalist Issa Saeed, the referee roster for the 2026 World Cup has only 13 members remaining, and Chinese referee Ma Ning is no longer on the list.
[Marca: Ferran Torres and his girlfriend broke up before Spain's match against Belgium]
According to Marca, Spanish striker Ferran Torres has broken up with social media influencer Martina Hunter.
Recently, a scallion that looks exactly like Erling Haaland went viral online, with the full article receiving over 100 million views and even a reply from Haaland himself.
The Argentine team is currently stirring up anti-British sentiment in Argentina. The long-standing conflict between the two teams may finally come to an end in this match.
In 10 out of the 14 major tournaments Messi has represented Argentina in, he has led his team to at least the semi-finals.
[World Cup Semi-Final France vs. Spain Referee: El Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton]
El Salvadorian referee Ivan Barton will officiate the 2026 World Cup semi-final match between France and Spain.
[A new opponent: Messi will face England for the first time in his national team career]
In the 2026 World Cup semi-final, Argentina will face England, marking Messi's first encounter with the English national team.
The four semifinalists for the 2026 USA-Mexico World Cup have been determined: France vs. Spain, England vs. Argentina. These four teams happen to be the top four ranked teams in the world, and they are also the teams that FIFA explicitly stated during last year's World Cup draw that they would avoid each other in the draw.
Three of the four semi-finalists for this World Cup have been confirmed: England, France, and Spain have all advanced. Coincidentally, all three teams reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in Germany two years ago.
On July 12, Beijing time, all the quarter-final matches of the World Cup were completed, with England and Argentina securing the final two semi-final spots through extra time.
Match Preview
Wednesday, July 15
3:00 World Cup Semi-Final: France vs. Spain
