The return of the champions' plenary

Argentina, France, Spain, and England are the four semifinalists of the 2026 World Cup, all with at least one Cup in their trophy cases. It is the first time in 36 years that the semifinals bring together only world champions, a scenario that has not been repeated since Italy 1990. In that edition, West Germany, Argentina, Italy, and England were the stars of a historic tournament that ended with the Germans being crowned in Rome after beating the Albiceleste. The first time this happened was in Mexico 1970, with Brazil, Italy, Uruguay, and West Germany, who together had won seven titles between them

The breakthroughs that made history

From the United States in 1994 to Qatar in 2022, there was always at least one team without a title capable of breaking the dominance of the champions. Sweden and Bulgaria in 1994, South Korea and Turkey in 2002, Croatia in 2018, and Morocco in 2022 are examples of teams that made their mark. Bulgaria and Croatia achieved their best results, South Korea became the first Asian team in the semifinals, and Morocco was the first African and Arab team to go that far. These breakthroughs not only changed tradition, but also expanded the world soccer map

The Atlanta and Dallas challenge

The 2026 World Cup breaks that streak and becomes only the third edition with semifinals exclusively for champions. Argentina arrives with three titles, France with two, while Spain and England have one each. The Albiceleste will face England in Atlanta, while France will face Spain in Dallas, with two tickets to the grand final at stake. For the first time since Italy 1990, none of the semifinalists are chasing their first World Cup. All four know the path and the pressure that comes with being in this stage. The difference will be who manages to write a new chapter and add one more star to their crest.

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