MIAMI: Spain, Argentina, France and England have made history by becoming the first top four teams in the FIFA world rankings to reach the FIFA World Cup semifinals in the same tournament.
The unprecedented achievement was aided by FIFA’s revised tournament draw system, which placed the four highest-ranked teams in separate sections of the bracket, ensuring they could not face each other before the semifinals if they topped their respective groups.
The format worked as intended, with all four teams finishing first in their groups and advancing through their respective knockout paths.
Under the new bracket structure, Spain and Argentina can only meet in the World Cup final, while France and England were also placed on separate knockout routes. The semifinal fixtures will see Spain face France, while Argentina will take on England.
The revised draw system was introduced alongside the expanded 48-team World Cup format, which increased the likelihood of heavyweight clashes in the early knockout rounds.
FIFA redesigned the bracket to preserve marquee matchups for the latter stages of the tournament and maintain competitive balance—a strategy that has proven successful in this edition.
On the other hand, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the governing body could consider expanding the men’s FIFA World Cup to 64 teams in the future following the success of the 48-team format introduced for the 2026 tournament.
Speaking to a Swiss broadcaster, Infantino said a proposal for a 64-team World Cup would be reviewed by FIFA’s relevant committees.
“The World Cup is not just for Europe and South America; it belongs to the entire world,” Infantino said, adding that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of qualifying for football’s biggest tournament.
He argued that the standard of football is improving globally and that giving smaller nations a chance to compete at the World Cup encourages further development. Without realistic qualification opportunities, he said, many emerging football nations could lose motivation to invest and improve.
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Infantino described the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s expanded 48-team format as a “100% success,” saying teams from every continent had performed well and that broader participation had helped promote football on a global scale.
