Spain have booked their place in the 2026 World Cup final after dismantling a flat, uninspired France side 2-0 in a semi-final that illustrated just how wide the gap between these two nations has become. Meanwhile, England's supporters are bracing themselves for one of football's most loaded fixtures as Gareth Southgate's successor prepares the squad to face Argentina in the other last-four showdown.

Yamal runs France ragged

From the opening exchanges it was clear France had no answer to Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona winger tormented Lucas Digne so consistently that television pundits were demanding Didier Deschamps intervene — yet the France manager appeared to have no contingency. Roy Keane made the reasonable point that Digne's teammates should have read the danger and offered cover, but the more damning question is why Deschamps sent his side out without a coherent plan to limit Yamal's influence in the first place.

Kylian Mbappé's own assessment was blunt. Speaking to French broadcaster M6 after the final whistle, he acknowledged that France had deviated entirely from their intended approach. Their plan had been to press Spain high and deny them the slow, controlled rhythms at which La Roja excel. They failed to execute it from the first minute, and paid the full price.

Tactically, Deschamps set himself a trap he could not escape. Asking Michael Olise to simultaneously create chances and nullify Rodri was asking too much of any player; Olise did neither job convincingly. Critics argued Deschamps might have used a three-man midfield, sacrificing an attacker to add defensive solidity, but that feels like hindsight neatly packaged. The less forgiving view is that going into a World Cup semi-final against Spain with a midfield of Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouaméni and an out-of-position forward was always a gamble that common sense should have prevented.

The end of the Deschamps era

Deschamps departs as France manager having won a World Cup, reached a further final, and claimed two semi-finals from five major tournaments across 14 years — a record that, on paper, appears formidable. Yet there is a persistent argument that a coach blessed with successive golden generations of French talent should have accumulated more silverware. One World Cup from that depth of resource may, in the cold light of the tournament's conclusion, be viewed as underachievement rather than triumph.

England versus Argentina: a rivalry steeped in history

The anticipation surrounding England's semi-final against Argentina is building rapidly, and understandably so. The two nations have not met in competitive football since 2002, a gap that has done nothing to cool the rivalry — if anything, distance has intensified the mythology surrounding it.

As Jonathan Liew has observed, the Argentine influence on English football has always been curiously modest relative to the cultural weight the country carries in the game. Ossie Ardiles arrived at White Hart Lane and became a genuine fans' favourite; Sergio Agüero's Premier League goals speak for themselves; Mauricio Pochettino reshaped the way Tottenham Hotspur thought about pressing football. Yet Gabriel Batistuta never graced English grounds, Juan Román Riquelme remained a distant wonder, and neither Lionel Messi nor Diego Maradona ever pulled on an English club shirt. The two greatest footballers of the modern era feel, to English fans, like figures observed through frosted glass — glimpsed, admired, but never truly possessed.

It is that mixture of proximity and remoteness that makes Wednesday's semi-final so charged. Too much shared history to be indifferent, too little common ground to feel anything other than a determined rivalry.

England will know they face an Argentina side carrying the full weight of a nation's expectations, and one brimming with talent across every position. The market has this as an extraordinarily tight contest, and few neutrals would argue against that assessment.

FAQs

Frequently asked

When is England vs Argentina at the 2026 World Cup?
England face Argentina in a 2026 World Cup semi-final. Check official broadcaster listings for the confirmed UK kick-off time, as scheduling details are subject to change.
How did Spain beat France in the World Cup 2026 semi-final?
Spain won 2-0, with Lamine Yamal central to their dominance. France struggled to implement their intended high press and had no effective answer to Yamal's direct running, compounded by an early injury to William Saliba and a penalty conceded.
When did England last play Argentina in a competitive match?
England and Argentina last met in competitive football at the 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage, making their 2026 semi-final their first competitive encounter in 24 years.