2026 FIFA World Cup Semi Finals Match Centre, Preview & Stats

So we’ve reached the semi-sharpest end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and what an entertaining yet predictable end result it is. But there’s so much further to go, the really important stuff, just two games between winning the World Cup or having a result that FIFA would be happy with. Our 2026 FIFA World Cup Semi Final Match Centre has all the games in one convenient place, for you to read and us to compile. It has some stats, visual stats, our own in-house ratings using non AI assistance, another prediction using an alternative AI model to predict winners, and splashes of AI Greg Norman trying to steal the show.

It’s all here, and all in the same place, all four games. Enjoy our 2026 FIFA World Cup Semi Final Match Centre.

Note: we are using AI to invent a prediction system using mostly football, but some nonsense footballing stats and figures. To save us typing it too many times, here are the categories we got AI to assess who could be the winner of all of our games.

AI MATCH PREDICTION

Since AI is all the rage, and a management buzzword of the highest order, we have decided to dip a few toes into AI pond. We asked AI to come up with a winner and score based on the following:

2026 FIFA World Cup form so far, last four years on international matches, overall FIFA World Cup history, overall FIFA World Cup knockout stage history, value of the playing squad, relative strength of each team’s mascot, military success of country over the past 100 years, overall non-football sporting success of country over the past 100 years, popularity and sales of each teams playing shirt, strength of fan noise, beer consumption.

2026 FIFA World Cup Semi Final Match Previews

Times are AEST, because that’s where we are. Refer to better websites in your country for more.

WEDNESDAY 15 JULY 5am – France vs Spain

STATS SUMMARY

RATINGS

The Gurgler’s in-house Ratings system chooses the winner. Using H2H history, World Cup performance history, World Cup qualifying, the last four years of international games, performance against the confederation, and current effort at this World Cup.

Ratings: Ratings say France by 1ish goal/s.

BARELY INTERESTING STATS

• France are yet to concede a goal in the knockout stages. Spain have conceded only one themselves in the knockout stage in the last game v Belgium and that is the only they have let in this World Cup.
• Spain have won the last two games v France and seven of the last ten matches – W7 D1 L2 since 2008.
• France has won the only World Cup match between these sides – in the 2006 World Cup 3-1.

GURGLER’S MATCH PREDICTION

Before we hit AI up for their thought, or create some pathetic stunt using an animal to select a winner (not below that just don’t have an appropriate animal), here’s an old-fashioned tip from a human

France 2 Spain 0

AI GREG’S MATCH PIC-REDICTION

We harnessed or wasted (delete appropriate) the power of AI to ask them to picture how an AI Greg Norman would visualise the result of this Quarter Final clash.

AI MATCH PREDICTION

As per our summary at the top we asked AI for a prediction using mostly football related comparisons, but some additional but no less important factors. And here’s the results below…..

AI MATCH RESULT AND WHY

France 2 Spain 0

Giving the football factors the overwhelming majority of the weight:

WEDNESDAY 15 JULY 5am – England vs Argentina

STATS SUMMARY

RATINGS

The Gurgler’s in-house Ratings system chooses the winner. Using H2H history, World Cup performance history, World Cup qualifying, the last four years of international games, performance against the confederation, and current effort at this World Cup.

Ratings: Too close to call with the ratings in the draw threshold of 5% in the middle. England having the slight edge, so maybe a penalty shootout win?

BARELY INTERESTING STATS

• England are unbeaten in their last five games v Argentina W2 D3.
• Argentina’s only win over England before penalties in World Cups was the infamous 1986 Hand of God match. Otherwise it’s W3 D1 L1.
• Argentina and England have conceded 6 goals each so far in this World Cup. The other Semi Final teams have conceded three goals between them.

GURGLER’S MATCH PREDICTION

Before we hit AI up for their thought, or create some pathetic stunt using an animal to select a winner (not below that just don’t have an appropriate animal), here’s an old-fashioned tip from a human

England 2 Argentina 1

AI GREG’S MATCH PIC-REDICTION

We harnessed or wasted (delete appropriate) the power of AI to ask them to picture how an AI Greg Norman would visualise the result of this Quarter Final clash.

AI MATCH PREDICTION

As per our summary at the top we asked AI for a prediction using mostly football related comparisons, but some additional but no less important factors. And here’s the results below…..

AI MATCH RESULT AND WHY