Top four FIFA-ranked teams reach World Cup semifinals for first time

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.