For the First Time Ever in FIFA World Cup History, the Top 4 Teams Are in the Semifinals
The World Cup Is on Fire.
For the first time ever in FIFA World Cup History the top 4 teams are in the Semifinals 🍿
For the first time ever in FIFA World Cup History the top 4 teams are in the Semifinals 🍿 pic.twitter.com/DuKIIAOLRz
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 12, 2026
Last night, reigning champion Argentina scored two goals in extra time to beat Switzerland and reach the World Cup Final Four.
Lionel Messi’s reaction after Lautaro Martinez goal.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulder. 🥹❤️pic.twitter.com/vM2i0fu30f
— MC (@CrewsMat10) July 12, 2026
Earlier in the week, Argentina’s great Messi scored another World Cup goal to help his team move on.
MESSI PUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ON HIS BACK
ICON! HERO! LEGEND! pic.twitter.com/zyNN6G0C8z
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 7, 2026
As reported last week, Messi is breaking records this World Cup:
It was no surprise to fans when Lionel Messi became the highest World Cup scorer in history after Argentina’s Monday match against Austria. His hat trick (a term meaning three match goals) against Algeria in the team’s opener set him on par with Miroslav Klose of Germany, who scored 16 World Cup goals.
But his performance against Austria, scoring both of the team’s goals in a 2-0 win, put him ahead at 18 with matches still to come. But the record isn’t safe. Twenty-seven-year-old French star Kylian Mbappé is at 16.
At nearly 39, Messi’s performance in the Algeria game also made him the oldest player to score a hat trick in a World Cup match. It also marked his first in any of his six World Cup appearances.
Ronaldo also set records this World Cup:
Where Messi has the most total goals, Cristiano Ronaldo boasts the most goals in different World Cup appearances, with six under his belt. Ronaldo has appeared (and scored) in every World Cup tournament since 2006. At 41, he’s also the second-oldest scorer in the tournament this year, behind Scotland’s Craig Gordon.
Ronaldo’s age also makes him the oldest player in World Cup history to pull off a multigoal game, proving he still has a place in the tournament.
Television ratings have been historic in the US.
The FIFA World Cup tournament barreled into North America this year amid a tide of nativism, political polarization in the U.S. and the usual uncertainty over how well the quadrennial men’s soccer championship would play with American sports fans – especially as this year’s 39-day competition collided directly with the America 250 celebrations.
The US loss to Belgium was the most-watched soccer telecast in US history.
According to preliminary data from Nielsen, 30million viewers tuned in to watch the match on Fox Sports – making it the most-watched soccer telecast in American history.
This included a peak audience of 36.895m viewers in the window from 9:15-9:30pm ET – which was the exact window when USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese and center back Tim Ream combined to give up one of the worst goals in the national team’s history.
Here is the memorable play for 20 + million viewers. Ouch.
Not a soccer guy, but this is a completely brain dead play by the USA goalie, right? pic.twitter.com/U294W75epw
— Caleb Czarnik (@calebczarnik) July 7, 2026
Oooh, sorry, I thought Americans were done pretending to care about this child's game?
Right?!?!?!? Gym class "kickball" ended in 6th grade, when we started playing football.
I wonder why it is called "football" when the majority of the time the ball never touches a foot.
If they called it eyeball nobody would watch.
The game is a little more like a version of “king of the hill”.
It'll be Argentina versus the African team for the championship. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd0f8d4c7dea3e9ace3c25b2ffaa3fbd49f00eedd502ae05db1e8ea20b3764a7.png
Africa?
Apparently you didn't view the picture I posted.
I got you!
I guess and in that case from now on "Africa" always wins!
Not if Argentina has anything to say about it. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f075d9196bdcbfc1ff39741acd05a0c2b61bf17c4862220ed0faf3c83691a0db.png
Funny, back in the 1980's all of the European teams were white guys from the nation they played for and they played really well. I think we have what, Norway, as the holdout against Africanizing their team beyond recognition?
Team France 1978. One of these kids is not like the other… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/88627f0d25d1242fef5a06dbe930740bba0a270ab3e0b2a85e5df051d34727a0.png
I don't watch kickball, but yesterday while at a restaurant, it was on and I noticed the Swiss team was half black. This is either a joke of recruitment rules by FIFA or a result of mass migration. In the USA's case, our "star" player was an anchor baby who's never, ever lived in the USA and only visited once, when he was spit out here and took his first breaths.
I was in Italy (for a week), and Switzerland (Lugano for a day) the beginning of June, and the racial demographic change was astounding (from my previous visit, seven years earlier). Muslims, Hindus and Africans everywhere. The Balkanization of Europe is moving full speed ahead, and Europe's complete demise is inevitable.
Eliminated last night against England.
Argentina: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f075d9196bdcbfc1ff39741acd05a0c2b61bf17c4862220ed0faf3c83691a0db.png
You have got to be kidding, this whole world cup event is rigged, that´s right, it´s Rigged!
Isn't that what the headline said?
Why have the four best teams never been in the finals?
You have got to be kidding, this whole world cup event is rigged, that´s right, it´s Rigged!
I could not care less if I tried…I'd rather watch paint dry…
We have some fine Kentucky Bluegrass growing in our yard, I can set up a webcam and export it to Youtube if you're interesting in watching that for a while?
It will grow a half an inch before a goal is scored in soccer!
For that matter before a shot is taken on goal.
Lmao!!… I would Love that!!…Send me some of your fine whiskey to go with it!…
That's my opinion of the National Felons League.
Lol… Same at this point… Thugs…
And 3 out of the 4 are Muslim countries.
Actually, England is a surprise, for it is a country, as Enoch Powell justly predicted it in 1968, busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyres….
But their soccer team still has a European face left, where France should really be playing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Spain has North African and African players, but a majority of Spaniards.
And Argentina…
Go Argentina.
Then Spain.
Then England.
But, by George, do not let the team of the shithole that was once my country prevail.
For they will use it against the coming back in power of French patriots in the next elections.
Everyone is missing the OBVIOUS result of our hosting the World Cup. Europe has realized their media has been full of shit in their portrayal of the USA. Many of their 'visitors' have said they can't wait to come back. Imagine the reverberations of thousands of Europeans returning home with their new found observations of the MAJORITY of our citizens AND our system of a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC vs their systems….I hope we see an influx of NEW immigration as we continue ridding ourselves of the illegals.
Yeah, thanks to Ted Kennedy in 1968 that won't be happening in any significant numbers, from Europe anyway.
And the 4th country, Argentina, is one of the most corrupt countries on the planet.
I am shocked that england allowed the Flag of Saint George to be used in the FIFA. Didn't they think about the criminal illegal invader muslims' feelings?
Yawn
I have zero interest in soccer, but hope Argentina wins because of their great President Milei.
I'm totally with you on that!
I wasn't for any of them once Norway lost last night, but you have a point.
So the top 4 teams that are the best at playing “keep away” have made it to the semifinals!
Did anyone notice? Care?
Did anyone notice? Care?
FUTBOL!!!⚽️⚽️⚽️
The only sport more popular than soccer is a Burger King black mob fight over forgetting to put the fries in the bag.
It's FUTBOL⚽️⚽️⚽️.
Nonsense. It's soccer with a made up name to sound more prestigious.
FUT in German … look it up, so maybe there´s something to it?
I forgot who the teams were as soon as I started scrolling down to read comments.
I care more about it being over and that can't come too soon.
It looks like Africa vs africa.
It look's like Who Cares vs Who Cares.
Argentina: "Hold my beer". https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f075d9196bdcbfc1ff39741acd05a0c2b61bf17c4862220ed0faf3c83691a0db.png
Thank God the USA did not make it. That would mean another 2 months of hearing about this stupidity
The US team could have played the game during halftime of Taylor Swift's wedding.
Is that soccer nonsense still going on?
Such an odd, yet simultaneously meaningless stat.
I can't tell you how much I don't care.
So one from S. America, and three from Africa. Wow.
Meh. It's still soccer.
Soccor is not an American sport or part of our culture. It's third-world and NWO junk. When the American team got knocked out….the American audience left. WE DON'T CARE AFTER THAT. The sponsors know that too.
Nothing better than listening to golf on the radio.
Go, girls, go. Don't break a nail.
it only took 'good' referees to make that happen… must have took lessons from the WNBA
No one cares
I sincerely can't understand how anyone can watch soccer. It's as unwatchable as basketball.
Your correct, you don't understand.
I’m not trying to be funny. It looks like a high school PE period. Lots of people seem to love it, though.
I'm with you!
Although I'm not a fan of the sport, I do appreciate the shape the athletes are in sprinting back and forth for 45 minutes straight each half with no stoppages. But I will say this; their fake falls and fake looks of absolute pain and agony on their faces when no one even touched them would put any professional wrestler to shame.
They’re in good shape, but the game is boring as can be. Unwatchable.
IKt is a joke of a sport.
I’m waiting for the shitlibs to scream RAACCISSSSM because all the countries are all white.Of course, none ever watch a game or they’d look at France’s team and it looks like a box of Oreos in there.
Nope. I've watched quite a few minutes of this game. I still think it's a boring child's game.
Three European and one from South America. And which one has the fewest black players?
I hope we see these people going back to fix their countries – not immigrate here which is a stupid comment because we limit legal immigration. I'd rather visit their countries and cultures if they were safe and sane.
Who cares?
I'm supporting Argentina
Yawn…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
One of the most boring things I've ever watched. Watching them flop and cry was cringe, too.
One thing for sure, Europeans are going back to their countries with bags full of Ranch sauce and dreams of having A/C in their homes, one way or another.!!!!
Go Argentina
All by design, but in the USA…who cares
Just like other sports, these games are rigged. It's all about the money for the organizers, gambling cartels and advertising.
When I let my dogs out in the morning, they run back and forth along the back fence. Eventually, they will stop and…one facing east, the other facing west…do their business.
Brittania!
The hero of Argentina, Lionel Messi, was convicted in Barcelona, Spain on July 6th 2016 of tax fraud in the equivalent amount of $4.6 million dollars. The Spanish Supreme Court reviewed the case and upheld the conviction on May 24th 2017.
Messi is a scumbag no different than the Somali thieves in the United States.
Very often with celebrities, they are putting all of their trust into their financial managers and accountants. Ultimately the onus is on the taxpayer to make sure things are correct, but the complicated tax rules of high net worth individuals is not in a celebrity's wheelhouse. An aggressive accountant who they trust could bury them. I seriously doubt that Abbott & Costello knew the convoluted rules of deductible business expenses and gambling losses, but in the end, that is what did them in.
Qui ne saute pas n'est pas Francais !
What, this garbage isn't over yet? Crap.
So?
Golf is actually pretty good to watch. There is always something happening.
I enjoy both playing and watching golf but I never kid myself about there being any excitement in 99.999999999999% of play.
I am bummed Norway didn't make it. England's coach was a jerk post game.
I have been watching world Cup soccer for over 40 years. This years World Cup has has the most biased and poor quality of referees I have ever seen. I have a strong suspicion that this years world Cup was fixed.
Having watched most of the games in the round of 16, these are the top 4 teams. But what makes them special? They ALL play dirty! Yup. They pull, tug, push and grab the other team’s players. And act so subtly so they don’t get called for fouls.
If an opponent looks to be advancing the ball to a dangerous position – they grab him or trip him. The fouled player gets a free kick while the fouling team gets to re-set their defense.
Watch the second Belgium goal against the US. A corner kick with a header. The Belgium player pushes the US player out of position, holds his shoulders to keep him from jumping, then climbs his back to head the ball into the goal.
Seriously … who in America really gives a p huuu c ! ?
Football….Baseball…and Basketball are AMERICAN sports.
They are trying to "internationalize" American's sensitivities. Telling us we should give a rat's a $$$ about Soccer .
The ONLY thing good about all this c rapola is the overwhelmingly positive reaction foreigners had about America when they visited.
where in the ranking is America?