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# World Cup Daily: Match and storylines for July 15
- URL: https://verdeallday.com/world-cup-daily-july-15-england-argentina/
- Published: 2026-07-15T14:00:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-15T14:00:26.000Z
- Description: We know half the equation for both the final and the third-place match. Today, the narrative-rich match between Argentina and England will fill in who plays Spain and who plays France.
- Author: Phil West
- Tags: world cup

Je suis triste. 

I've made my love for France pretty clear throughout the World Cup, so Tuesday was gut-wrenching. Spain brought a particularly constrictive, stultifying defense to the party in Arlington, won a PK when Lamine Yamal took advantage of a Lucas Digne lapse, and then scored Pedro Porro one of the best-set-up goals of this (or maybe any other World Cup), effectively cruising to a 2-0 win. 

From appearances, Spain looks the prohibitive favorite heading into Sunday's final, playing whoever emerges from today's Argentina-England semifinal. My hunch is that Argentina finds a way, but no matter what happens, we know three things for sure: 

1. The third-place match on Saturday will actually be compelling! It will either feature the 2022 finalists or a rivalry dating back centuries.
2. This was official once Argentina beat Switzerland on Saturday night: We will not get a ninth World Cup champion this time around. All three teams remaining in the field have won at least one, with two of the three attempting to get a second star.
3. Cabo Verde may end up having the best performance, scoreline-wise and vibes-wise, of any of the teams playing Spain.

Only three matches left in the tournament ... but MLS is back! (We'll have more about that tomorrow, including whatever we can learn about Austin FC's match against Charlotte FC taking place later today.) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1e/d1/1ed16f3e-4f96-4b65-9a04-4b0634738b99/content/images/2026/07/WC-2026-12-.png)

## Round of 32

### Sunday, June 28

- **Canada 1, South Africa 0**

### Monday, June 29

- **Brazil 2, Japan 1**
- **Paraguay 1(4), Germany 1(3)**
- **Morocco 1(3), Netherlands 1(2)**

### Tuesday, June 30

- **Norway 2, Côte d'Ivoire** **1**
- **France 3, Sweden 0**
- **Mexico 2, Ecuador 0**

### Wednesday, July 1

- **England 2, DR Congo 1**
- **Belgium 3, Senegal 2**
- **United States** **2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0**

### Thursday, July 2

- **Spain 3, Austria 0**
- **Portugal 2, Croatia 1**
- **Switzerland 2, Algeria 0**

### Friday, July 3

- **Argentina 3, Cabo Verde 2**
- **Colombia 1, Ghana 0**
- **Egypt 1(4), Australia 1(2)**

## Round of 16

### Saturday, July 4

- **Morocco 3, Canada 0**
- **France 1, Paraguay 0**

### Sunday, July 5

- **Norway 2, Brazil 1**
- **England 3, Mexico 2**

### Monday, July 6

- **Spain 1, Portugal 0**
- **Belgium 4, United States 1**

### Tuesday, July 7

- **Argentina 3, Egypt 2**
- **Switzerland 0(4), Colombia 0(3)**

## Quarterfinals

### Thursday, July 9

- **France 2, Morocco 0**

### Friday, July 10

- **Spain 2, Belgium 1**

### Saturday, July 11

- **England 2, Norway 1**
- **Argentina 3, Switzerland 1**

## Semifinals

### Tuesday, July 14

- **Spain 2, France** **0**

### Wednesday, July 15

- **England vs. Argentina**, 2 pm, Atlanta

## Third-place match

### Saturday, July 18

- France vs. Argentina-England loser, 4 pm, Miami Gardens, Fla.

## Final

### Sunday, July 19

- Spain vs. Argentina-England winner, 2 pm, East Rutherford, N.J.

## Where to watch

With heavy thunderstorms in the forecast today, a trip inside is likely in order. I'd expect Haymaker (2310 Manor) to be packed, and if you're at all south, Koko's Bavarian (3003 S. Lamar Blvd., Unit F 105) might be your vibe even though it is neither English nor Argentine. 

## What to read

A [post-mortem](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7446303/2026/07/14/france-out-of-world-cup-how/?ref=verdeallday.com) on what went wrong for France, and [an assessment](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7446014/2026/07/14/spain-world-cup-final/?ref=verdeallday.com) that "Spain are not covered in stardust." 

Plus, here's a deep dive on Austin's Ismael Elfath, who will be [head referee](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7444183/2026/07/14/ismail-elfath-england-argentina-world-cup-semi-final/?ref=verdeallday.com) for Wednesday's match. 

*Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out* Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) *wherever you get your podcasts.*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1e/d1/1ed16f3e-4f96-4b65-9a04-4b0634738b99/content/images/2026/02/TrueEarnings2.png)