Addis Ababa, July 12, 2026 (FMC) — The 2026 FIFA World Cup has produced a historic milestone, with the world’s top four-ranked reigning men’s national teams all advancing to the semi-finals for the first time in tournament history.
The achievement comes as Argentina, Spain, France and England — the top four teams in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking released in June 2026 ahead of the tournament — have all secured places in the last four.
Argentina entered the World Cup as the world’s No. 1 ranked team, followed by Spain in second, France in third and England in fourth in FIFA’s June ranking.
However, the order was reshuffled during the course of the tournament as results affected the teams’ ranking points. In the FIFA Men’s World Ranking for July 2026, France moved to the top position, followed by Argentina, Spain and England, while the four nations maintained their status as the world’s leading teams.
The historic semi-final line-up means that, for the first time since the introduction of the FIFA Men’s World Ranking system in 1992, the top four-ranked national teams have all reached the World Cup semi-finals.
France will face Spain in the first semi-final, while Argentina will take on England in the second as the four football powerhouses compete for places in the final.
The semi-finals also bring together four former world champions, adding further significance to the decisive stage of the tournament as football’s biggest nations battle for the most coveted trophy in the sport.