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The 2026 World Cup reaches the last four on 14 and 15 July: two single-elimination ties, one at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area and one at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with a place in the MetLife final on the line. Here is the full schedule, how each semi-final is fed by the quarter-finals, the two halves of the draw, and the road on to the third-place play-off in Miami and the final on 19 July.
Updated 7 July 2026 · WorldCuply.com editorial · Sources: FIFA, AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ESPN, FOX Sports
2
Semi-finals
14 & 15 Jul
Last-four dates
3
Knockout wins to get here
19 Jul
Final at MetLife
How to read this page. The semi-final dates, venues and kickoff times are already fixed. The four teams are not: the quarter-finals run from 9 to 11 July, and their winners fill the two last-four slots below. As of 7 July the Round of 16 is concluding, so the field is narrowing fast. We show each semi-final by its bracket position, how the two halves of the draw feed it, and how the winners advance to the MetLife final while the losers meet for bronze in Miami.
The Stage
What the semi-finals are in 2026
The last four is the same stage by name as in every recent World Cup, but in the 48-team format the teams reach it having survived more knockout football than ever before.
In the old 32-team World Cup a semi-finalist had won two knockout ties. In 2026 the group stage produces 32 qualifiers who first contest the brand-new Round of 32, then the Round of 16, then the quarter-finals from 9 to 11 July. Only then come the semi-finals, on 14 and 15 July. Every team in the last four has therefore already won three knockout ties, the deepest, most attritional route to a World Cup final the tournament has ever asked for.
Every match from the Round of 32 onward is single elimination. There are no draws and no replays: a tie level after 90 minutes goes to extra time and, if still level, a penalty shootout, as our guide to extra time and shootouts explains. With a World Cup final at stake, the semi-finals are among the most nerve-shredding matches in the sport, and several in history, from Seville 1982 to Moscow 2018, have been settled only on penalties.
The Schedule
Both semi-finals, and what follows
The Dallas area opens the round on the Tuesday, Atlanta follows on the Wednesday, then the beaten pair meet for bronze in Miami before the final in New York and New Jersey. Each semi-final is fed by two specific quarter-final winners, so the venue and date of every slot is locked even before the teams are known. Times shown are Eastern Time kickoff hints.
Tuesday 14 July
Winner QF 97 vs Winner QF 98
Match 101 · Semi-final · AT&T Stadium, Arlington (Dallas area) · 3pm ET (2pm CT)
Tue 14 Jul
Wednesday 15 July
Winner QF 99 vs Winner QF 100
Match 102 · Semi-final · Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta · 3pm ET
Wed 15 Jul
Saturday 18 July
Loser SF 101 vs Loser SF 102
Match 103 · Third-place play-off · Hard Rock Stadium, Miami · 5pm ET
Sat 18 Jul
Sunday 19 July
Winner SF 101 vs Winner SF 102
Match 104 · Final · MetLife Stadium, New York and New Jersey · 3pm ET
The pairings lock once the quarter-finals finish on 11 July. Each semi-final draws its two teams from a specific pair of last-eight ties, so the halves of the draw are already set even while the quarter-finalists are still being decided.
Dallas semi-final
Match 101Tue 14 Jul
Winner QF 97 vs Winner QF 98. Fed by the Boston quarter-final (Gillette Stadium) and the Los Angeles quarter-final (SoFi Stadium). This is the top half of the draw, the side that has run through France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Belgium and hosts Canada. It is played at AT&T Stadium, the venue hosting more 2026 matches than any other.
Atlanta semi-final
Match 102Wed 15 Jul
Winner QF 99 vs Winner QF 100. Fed by the Miami quarter-final (Hard Rock Stadium) and the Kansas City quarter-final (Arrowhead Stadium). This is the bottom half, the loaded side holding Brazil, defending champions Argentina, England and hosts Mexico. It is played under the roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.
Third-place play-off
Match 103Sat 18 Jul
Loser SF 101 vs Loser SF 102. The two beaten semi-finalists meet for the bronze medal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the day before the final. It is a hard match to lift yourself for, but a chance to end a long tournament on a win and finish third in the world.
The Final
Match 104Sun 19 Jul
Winner SF 101 vs Winner SF 102. The two semi-final winners contest the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in the New York and New Jersey area, the climax of the first 48-team tournament. One of these two nights in Dallas and Atlanta puts a team 90 minutes from the trophy.
The Map
How the last four splits
The two semi-finals sit in opposite halves of the draw and can meet only in the final. Knowing which half a team is in tells you its route to New York and New Jersey.
The top half funnels the Boston and Los Angeles quarter-finals into the AT&T Stadium semi-final on 14 July. This is the side built around France and Spain, with Portugal, Morocco, Belgium, hosts Canada and giant-killers Paraguay all having populated its quarter-finals.
The bottom half funnels the Miami and Kansas City quarter-finals into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium semi-final on 15 July. That is the loaded side, holding Brazil, Argentina, England and hosts Mexico. Because the two South American giants sit on the same side, Brazil and Argentina can meet only in the Atlanta semi-final, and just one can reach the MetLife final.
Nothing is settled until the quarter-finals are played, and the Round of 16 is only just wrapping up, so treat every name above as a live possibility rather than a certainty. What is fixed is the structure: two winners in Dallas and Atlanta, one final in New York and New Jersey.
The Venues
Where the last four is decided
Two of the biggest indoor-capable stadiums in North America stage the semi-finals, both chosen to shield the biggest matches from July heat.
AT&T Stadium
Dallas semi-final · 14 July
LocationArlington, Texas
RoofRetractable
2026 roleMost matches of any venue
Kickoff3pm ET / 2pm CT
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta semi-final · 15 July
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
RoofRetractable
Known forHalo board, big crowds
Kickoff3pm ET
Then to MetLife
The Final · 19 July
LocationEast Rutherford, NJ
Third placeMiami, 18 July
Final kickoff3pm ET
PrizeThe World Cup
Both semi-final venues have retractable roofs and air conditioning, letting FIFA control conditions for the tournament's biggest matches. For a fuller look at the finishing straight, see our guides to AT&T Stadium and the MetLife final venue.
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2026 World Cup semi-finals?
The two semi-finals are played on Tuesday 14 July and Wednesday 15 July 2026. The first, Match 101, is at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area on 14 July, and the second, Match 102, is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on 15 July. Both kick off at 3pm US Eastern Time. The dates, venues and kickoff times are fixed; the four teams are confirmed only once the quarter-finals finish on 11 July.
Where are the 2026 World Cup semi-finals played?
Both semi-finals are in the United States. The first is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas metropolitan area, the venue hosting more 2026 matches than any other. The second is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a roofed downtown arena. By the semi-finals every remaining match is on US soil, and the two winners head to MetLife Stadium in the New York and New Jersey area for the final.
How are the semi-final matchups decided?
The bracket is pre-set. The Dallas semi-final, Match 101, pairs the winners of quarter-final 97 in Boston and quarter-final 98 in Los Angeles. The Atlanta semi-final, Match 102, pairs the winners of quarter-final 99 in Miami and quarter-final 100 in Kansas City. The venue and date of each slot are locked in advance, so only the teams change once the quarter-finals are played from 9 to 11 July.
Which teams have reached the semi-finals?
No team is in the semi-finals yet. As of 7 July the Round of 16 is concluding and the quarter-finals, from 9 to 11 July, still have to be played. Each semi-final slot will be filled by a quarter-final winner: the Dallas semi-final by the Boston and Los Angeles winners, the Atlanta semi-final by the Miami and Kansas City winners. Follow our quarter-finals preview for the live picture of who is still in each half.
What time do the semi-finals kick off?
Both semi-finals kick off at 3pm US Eastern Time. In the Dallas area that is 2pm local Central Time on 14 July, and in Atlanta it is 3pm local Eastern Time on 15 July. Because the venues sit in different US time zones, always check the local conversion for the stadium. The WorldCuply.com schedule shows every kickoff in your own time zone.
How do the semi-finals feed the final?
The two semi-final winners meet in the final, Match 104, at MetLife Stadium in the New York and New Jersey area on Sunday 19 July at 3pm Eastern Time. The two losing semi-finalists contest the third-place play-off, Match 103, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 18 July. So the semi-finals produce both the pair that plays for the trophy and the pair that plays for the bronze medal.
What happens if a semi-final is level after 90 minutes?
There are no draws in the knockout rounds. If a semi-final is level after 90 minutes it goes to two periods of 15 minutes of extra time, and if it is still level after that it is settled by a penalty shootout. There is no replay and no away-goals rule. With a place in a World Cup final at stake, the semi-finals are among the tensest matches in the sport, and several in history have gone the distance to penalties.
Are Brazil and Argentina in the same half of the draw?
Yes. Both South American giants sit in the bottom half that funnels through the Miami and Kansas City quarter-finals into the Atlanta semi-final on 15 July. Because they are on the same side, Brazil and Argentina can only meet in the semi-final, not the final, and just one of them can reach MetLife. The top half, feeding the Dallas semi-final, is the side that has held France, Spain and Portugal.
How is the 2026 semi-final stage different from past World Cups?
The semi-finals are still the last four, but in the 48-team 2026 format the teams arrive having played more knockout football than ever. After a group stage of 12 groups, the 32 qualifiers play the new Round of 32, then the Round of 16, then the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals. A semi-finalist has therefore already won three knockout ties, so reaching the last four in 2026 is a longer, more attritional achievement than in the old 32-team tournament.
Is there a third-place play-off in 2026?
Yes. The two beaten semi-finalists meet in the third-place play-off, Match 103, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday 18 July, the day before the final. It decides the bronze medal. The match has been part of the World Cup since 1934, and while it is often framed as a consolation, players and nations still want to end the tournament on a win and climb the final standings.
Keep Reading
The road to the final
Follow the bracket from the last eight to New York:
WorldCuply.com is the premium .com for 2026 World Cup content, coverage and commerce. The listing is live now, with the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July 2026.