Four Titans Clash: First Time in World Cup History That Top Four Are FIFA Top-Ranked Champions
The World Cup semifinals have set an unprecedented record. Argentina, Spain, France, and England — all former winners of the trophy — currently occupy the top four spots in the latest FIFA World Rankings. This is the first time such a scenario has occurred since the ranking system was introduced in 1992. On the scoring charts, five of the top six attackers are still in the tournament, along with a universally recognized football legend. Combined with the most classic rivalries in world football, this has elevated the semifinals to the pinnacle of attention.
Each team is just two wins away from being crowned champion again. On Tuesday local time, France and Spain will face off in Arlington, Texas. The next day, England and Argentina will clash in Atlanta. Since 1990, the World Cup semifinals have not been entirely comprised of former champions — back then, England and Argentina were among them but did not meet. At that time, Argentina was the defending champion (having beaten West Germany in 1986) but lost to West Germany in the 1990 final. If both France and Argentina win, this final would be a repeat of the 2022 World Cup final.
To reach the final for the second consecutive time, Argentina must overcome a tense historical backdrop in their rivalry with England, one that extends far beyond football, tracing back to the 1982 Falklands conflict. On the pitch, the two teams have clashed fiercely multiple times in World Cup history. In the 1966 quarterfinal, Argentina captain Antonio Rattín was sent off, and England manager Alf Ramsey even tried to prevent his players from swapping shirts after a 1-0 win. Twenty years later, Maradona's "Hand of God" helped Argentina eliminate England 2-1 in the 1986 quarterfinal, leading to their eventual title. In 1998, David Beckham was red-carded for kicking Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone, and Argentina won the round-of-16 tie on penalties; four years later, Beckham scored a penalty to give England a 1-0 win, directly causing Argentina's group-stage elimination.
In the other semifinal, France and Spain meet again at the semifinal stage of a major tournament, just two years after their last European Championship encounter. At that time, Spain won 2-1 with a goal from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, later defeating England in the final to lift the trophy. Now, France is considered one of the most impressive teams in the tournament, boasting a star-studded attack. Ahead of the semifinal, which falls on France's national day, they have a striker tied with Kylian Mbappé at the top of the scoring charts (Mbappé previously suffered a broken nose, while rising stars Olise and Doué were not yet on the scene). Spain, on the other hand, must manage injuries to Yamal and winger Nico Williams, having advanced past Portugal and Belgium thanks to substitute Mikel Merino's late winners. The two nations have faced each other multiple times in World Cup and European Championship history, with France famously beating Spain in the 1984 European Championship final.
The Golden Boot race is also heating up: Mbappé and Messi are tied with 8 goals each. Already eliminated, Erling Haaland has 7, while Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane each have 6. Ousmane Dembélé has 5, and Mikel Oyarzabal has 4 — still in contention if Spain advances. In the all-time World Cup goalscoring list, Messi leads with 21 goals, followed by Mbappé with 20. The 39-year-old Messi is widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, and this could be his first World Cup match against England. If he leads Argentina to the title, he would win a second World Cup for his country, surpassing Maradona's legacy. Argentina would also become the first team to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 — Pelé was part of that Brazilian side and went on to win his third World Cup in 1970. (This article references foreign media reports.)