Semifinals Tickets
July 14 and 15, 2026 · 2 matches
About the Semifinals
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals reduce a 48-team field to its final four, with the last two matches before the showpiece final played on July 14 and 15, 2026. After a month of group play, a 32-team Round of 32, the Round of 16, and the Quarterfinals, only nations capable of winning seven straight knockout-caliber performances remain. Each semifinal is a single-leg, win-or-go-home fixture, with extra time and penalties on standby should the match remain level after 90 minutes. One of the two matches will be staged at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, a venue purpose-built for spectacle, while the second will be hosted in another marquee North American host city. For supporters, broadcasters, and neutral fans alike, the Semifinals represent the emotional peak of the tournament. The losing sides will meet in a third-place playoff days later, while the winners advance to the World Cup Final on July 19. With history, legacy, and a place on the sport's biggest stage at stake, these are the matches that define generations.
Format & qualification
Both Semifinals follow the standard FIFA knockout structure: a single match contested over 90 minutes, with two halves of 45 minutes plus stoppage time. If the score is level at full-time, the match proceeds to two 15-minute periods of extra time. Should the deadlock persist, a penalty shootout decides which nation advances to the Final. Each squad is permitted up to five substitutions across three in-match windows, with an additional substitution allowed during extra time, in accordance with IFAB-approved World Cup protocols. A concussion substitute provision also remains available. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is in effect, with semi-automated offside technology and goal-line technology supporting the on-field officials. Yellow-card accumulation is reset at the Quarterfinal stage, meaning players enter the Semifinals on a clean slate for single-match suspensions, though a red card in the semifinal will rule a player out of the Final. The two losing semifinalists meet in the third-place playoff before the Final weekend, ensuring every match in the round carries direct tournament consequence.
Schedule
The two Semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15, 2026, with kick-off times set by FIFA to balance the global broadcast audience across North American, European, South American, Asian, and African markets. Each match is played 24 hours apart to give the winning side an equal four-day turnaround before the Final on Sunday, July 19. The pairings are determined by the bracket established at the group-stage draw: the winner of one Quarterfinal meets the winner of a designated counterpart Quarterfinal, with the bracket halves kept separate until the Final. Fans planning travel should expect FIFA to confirm exact kick-off times after the Quarterfinal results are known, with windows typically falling in late afternoon and early evening local time at each host venue. Stadium gates generally open three hours before kick-off.
Where Semifinals matches are played
One of the two Semifinals will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, just outside Dallas, Texas. With a seated capacity approaching 80,000 and the ability to expand for marquee events, AT&T Stadium is among the largest venues in the tournament and a centerpiece of the United States' hosting footprint. Its retractable roof, climate control, and world-class production infrastructure make it ideally suited to a July knockout match in the Texas heat. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex offers extensive air connectivity through DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field, a deep hotel inventory across Arlington, downtown Dallas, and Fort Worth, and a robust transit and rideshare network on matchday. The second Semifinal venue is among the elite list of host stadiums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico selected to stage the tournament's most consequential fixtures. Supporters traveling to either Semifinal should book accommodations and ground transportation as early as possible, as demand surrounds the host cities for the full week leading into the Final.
Semifinals tickets
Tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals are sold exclusively through FIFA's official channels at FIFA.com/tickets. FIFA distributes tickets through a series of application windows, including random-selection draws, first-come-first-served sales, and conditional supporter-team packages tied to nations that advance. Because the identity of the two competing nations is not known until the Quarterfinals conclude, FIFA typically releases a portion of Semifinal inventory under 'Conditional Supporter Tickets' allocated to fans of teams still in contention, alongside general neutral allocations. Demand for the Semifinals is exceptional, with prices reflecting the round's prestige; expect premium pricing across categories, particularly for sideline and lower-bowl seating at AT&T Stadium. Hospitality packages, which bundle premium seating with curated matchday experiences, are sold through FIFA's official hospitality program. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase only through FIFA.com/tickets to ensure authenticity, valid entry, and protection against fraud.
Storylines
The Semifinals are where legacies are written. Reigning champions chasing back-to-back titles, traditional powers seeking redemption, and emerging nations breaking new ground all converge here. Star players enter the round under enormous individual scrutiny, with Golden Boot and Golden Ball narratives crystallizing through 180 minutes of football. Managers face their tightest selection windows of the tournament, balancing fitness, suspensions accumulated across earlier rounds, and squad rotation against the four-day turnaround to the Final. Tactical chess often defines these matches: cautious openings, set-piece dependence, and late-game substitutions tend to swing outcomes. For host nations still alive in the bracket, the home support inside AT&T Stadium can become a decisive twelfth player.