With just four teams remaining in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, former Premier League striker and BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton believes France and England will emerge victorious in the semi-finals and meet in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium.
Sutton views France and Spain as the strongest sides left in the competition, describing their meeting as a contest worthy of the final itself. Even so, he feels France’s attacking quality and ability to exploit space on the counter-attack will prove decisive against the European champions.
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France’s firepower could prove the difference
Spain have impressed throughout the tournament with their possession-based approach and defensive discipline, conceding only once on their route to the last four. Sutton believes that style has made them one of the standout teams of the World Cup.
Despite that, he expects France’s pace in transition to create problems whenever Spain commit players forward. He also pointed to the individual battle involving teenage winger Lamine Yamal, suggesting the youngster will need a much bigger performance than he has produced in several earlier matches if Spain are to reach the final.
Sutton is predicting a 3-1 victory for France, believing Didier Deschamps’ side possess enough attacking depth to outscore their opponents even if Spain find the net themselves.
England handed a major opportunity
The second semi-final sees England face defending champions Argentina in one of international football’s fiercest rivalries.
While acknowledging Argentina’s experience and the presence of Lionel Messi, Sutton believes Thomas Tuchel’s side have been presented with an excellent opportunity to reach the World Cup final. He argued that this Argentina squad is not as dominant as some of the nation’s greatest teams and pointed to defensive weaknesses England could exploit.
According to Sutton, England’s pace on the wings could create problems for Argentina’s full-backs, while he also questioned the consistency of the South American side’s central defence during the tournament.
Messi remains the biggest threat
Sutton expects much of Argentina’s attacking play to revolve around Messi, who continues to be the team’s creative focal point despite being in the later stages of his career.
He believes England midfielder Declan Rice, if fit, will have a crucial role in limiting the veteran playmaker’s influence. Sutton also highlighted Jude Bellingham’s outstanding form, suggesting the Real Madrid star has become England’s own game-changing figure after another impressive display in the quarter-finals.
A rivalry with plenty of history
England and Argentina share one of the World Cup’s most memorable rivalries, shaped by famous encounters that include Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and David Beckham’s red card at the 1998 tournament.
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Sutton expects another fiercely contested meeting, warning that discipline could become a deciding factor if emotions run high. Despite anticipating a physical contest, he believes England will have enough quality to secure victory and even suggested Argentina could finish the match with fewer than 11 players.
Final four set for decisive week
The semi-finals begin with France taking on Spain in Dallas before England meet Argentina in Atlanta 24 hours later. The winners will advance to the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, where the 2026 champions will be crowned.
Sutton’s predictions align with his view that France have been the tournament’s most complete side, while England have steadily grown into the competition despite not always producing their best football. If his forecast proves correct, Sunday’s final will feature two European heavyweights battling for football’s biggest prize.
