Azernews.Az

The final two quarterfinal matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played on July 12, completing the lineup for the tournament's semifinals, AzerNEWS reports.

Co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the expanded World Cup has reached a decisive stage, with four nations still battling for the remaining two semifinal places.

The day's action will begin with a highly anticipated clash between Norway and England, scheduled to kick off at 01:00. The match will be officiated by French referee Clément Turpin and will take place at Miami Stadium.

Later, reigning world champions Argentina will face Switzerland in the final quarterfinal at 05:00. Portuguese referee João Pedro Pinheiro has been appointed to oversee the encounter, which will be played at Kansas Stadium.

The winners of the two matches will advance to the semifinals, where they will meet for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.

The first two quarterfinals have already determined one semifinal pairing. France secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco, while Spain edged Belgium 2-1 in a closely contested encounter. Those victories set up a blockbuster semifinal between two of Europe's football powerhouses.

With France and Spain already through, attention now turns to whether England can continue its title challenge against a resurgent Norway, and whether Lionel Scaloni's Argentina can keep its World Cup defense alive against a determined Swiss side.

As the tournament enters its final stages, the race to lift football's most prestigious trophy is becoming increasingly intense, with every match carrying the weight of history and a place in the World Cup final at stake.