France, Spain, England and Argentina advanced to the World Cup semifinals after a round defined by extra-time winners, historic VAR interventions, and record-breaking performances.
The 2026 World Cup quarter-finals concluded this weekend, setting up four of global football’s biggest heavyweight nations into a blockbuster semifinal lineup after a round that delivered extra-time drama, tactical masterclasses, and massive tournament records.
France put an end to Morocco’s defensive fairytale with a clinical 2-0 victory at Boston Stadium, highlighted by Bradley Barcola’s tournament-leading goal. Spain edged Belgium 2-1 at Los Angeles Stadium, with super-sub Mikel Merino capitalising on a late 87th-minute goalkeeping error to send Spain through and break a World Cup-record streak of five consecutive clean sheets.
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England eliminated Norway 2-1 after extra time at Miami Stadium, with Jude Bellingham striking a quick-reaction extra-time winner after a highly controversial VAR review disallowed a late Norwegian goal. Argentina survived a 1-1 stalemate against Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium, leveraging a historic VAR diving red card to Breel Embolo to strike twice in extra time via Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez.
The defining disciplinary moment of the round occurred in the Argentina-Switzerland tie when striker Breel Embolo received a second yellow card for simulation inside the box following a direct VAR intervention. England successfully navigated their quarter-final with four crucial starters avoiding bookings, meaning no English players are suspended for the semifinals.
Jude Bellingham became the first player to score multiple goals in back-to-back World Cup knockout matches since Diego Maradona in 1986. Spain’s Lamine Yamal set the all-time record for the most World Cup appearances by a player aged 18 or under with six appearances. Lionel Messi recorded his 10th career World Cup assist, establishing a unique statistical anomaly: every single one of his ten assists has been delivered to a completely different Argentine teammate.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, the semifinal fixtures will see Spain face France on Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas Stadium, and Argentina face England on Wednesday, July 15, at Atlanta Stadium.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Last Updated on July 12, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
