The 2026 World Cup has reached its business end, with the four remaining teams vying for glory.

The three co-hosts, the United States, Canada and Mexico, did well to reach the last 16 but each fell at the same hurdle as they lost to Belgium, Morocco and England respectively.

Of that winning trio, only the Three Lions survived the quarter-finals. Joining Thomas Tuchel’s resilient side in the last four of the competition are reigning champions Argentina, who continue to cause refereeing controversy en-route to a second final in a row, as well as France and Spain.

Ahead of the semi-finals, which begin on Tuesday evening when France take on Spain in an all-European showdown, GiveMeSport has asked GrokAI to predict the remainder of the tournament.

Semi-Finals

REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

If AI is correct in its semi-final predictions, France are set to make a final appearance for an astonishing third time in a row, having won in 2018, before then cruelly losing out to Messi and co. in 2022. Spain beat France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 before going on to lift the trophy. However, AI thinks Didier Deschamps’ side will get the better of Spain this time round.

On the game, it said: “France has been dominant and clinical; Spain plays attractive football but may struggle against France’s physicality and counter-attacking threat (Mbappe, etc.). France edges it in a high-quality “final before the final.”

In the other semi-final, AI has backed Argentina to beat England 2-1, writing: “Argentina (reigning champions with Messi still influential) has clutch quality. England has momentum and stars like Bellingham but often falters in big moments against top South American sides.”

Third-Place Match and Final

Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

No side ever wants to contest the third-placed match. Players are often deflated after failing to reach the final and a drab affair ensues. That said, AI thinks it will be different in 2026 as Spain beat England 2-1 in a repeat of the Euro 2024 final. It predicts: “Losers of tight semis often rotate or show fatigue; Spain’s depth should prevail for bronze.”

If AI has got it right, France and Argentina will go head-to-head in a repeat of the 2022 final. Four years ago, the two nations played out one of the greatest matches in football history. After the two sides couldn’t be separated in extra-time, the match went all the way to penalties, with Argentina triumphing.

AI thinks France will get revenge and become world champions for the third time. It writes: “France beats Argentina 2-1 (or on penalties). A rematch of recent finals vibes – France’s balance, experience, and current favoritism make them likely champions. Argentina fights hard but falls just short of back-to-back titles.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now growing in confidence that they will seal a deal to sign Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, according to TEAMtalk.

There is no doubt that Tottenham are winning in the transfer window in terms of Premier League clubs, having made six quality signings since the window opened four weeks ago.

The free transfer additions of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka were impressive enough, with all three bringing huge Premier League experience and Robertson having won both the Premier League and the Champions League during his time with Liverpool.

It’s only got better too since the north Londoners started spending money for signings, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali joining for a combined fee of around £235m.

The latter two in particular were also wanted by big clubs in the Premier League and in Europe, and both represent quite the coup for a team that finished in 17th position in the English top flight last term.

Having transformed the defence and midfield engine room, now attention has turned to strengthening a frontline that suffered from injuries and general poor form last term.

Tottenham Preparing Junior Kroupi Bid

via Reuters

Tottenham have received a huge boost in their bid to land exciting Bournemouth attacker Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, with Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain turning their attention to a deal to sign Barcelona forward Ferran Torres instead.

According to TEAMtalk, PSG had identified Junior Kroupi as a ‘dream’ replacement for Goncalo Ramos following the Portugal international’s big-money move to AC Milan, but the youngster isn’t willing to accept a move to the Parc des Princes to be a back-up player.

Now, the Ligue 1 giants are making progress on a move to sign Torres, with personal terms already agreed and club-to-club talks advancing.

It all means that Spurs officials are increasingly confident of sealing a deal for the ‘world-class talent’, as they get ready to test Bournemouth’s resolve with a bid, in the hope that a deal worth around £85m will be enough to convince the south coast outfit to sell.

Joining Tottenham Really Appeals to Junior Kroupi

via Reuters

The second big boost for Tottenham in their pursuit of another exciting Premier League player is the fact that he is said to see the prospect of linking up with De Zerbi in north London as being ‘hugely appealing’.

The youngster is said to value regular first-team football over playing for a huge club where he will be out of the starting XI more often than not, which could make Spurs the perfect move.

Tottenham believe that both the player and his representatives are open to the move this summer, and they see him as a player who is capable of leading their attack for many years.

The biggest challenge will be producing an offer that is good enough to tempt Bournemouth to sell, given they are insisting he is untouchable ahead of the club’s first ever European campaign under new manager Marco Rose next term.

Keir Starmer has just one week left of his term as UK Prime Minister, and his final act is reportedly set to be one last major football law change. The Labour Party leader has been well involved with the World Cup this summer.

In the buildup to England’s Round of 16 tie vs Mexico, he passed an emergency law that ensured pubs would be allowed to stay open until 5am on the Monday morning – a decision that drew plenty of supporters as it did critics. Meanwhile, as the Three Lions are now into the semi-finals, where they will play Argentina on Wednesday night, a Bank Holiday could be on the cards if they bring football home.

Starmer’s final football decision isn’t linked to the national team, but rather the sport in general. The clubs that benefit the most are likely to ply their trade in the Premier League, and is a significant step in the right direction for justice.

As per The Guardian, Starmer is expected to use his final week in office to push the Hillsborough law through its remaining stages in the Commons after months of delays. This bill aims to strengthen support for families seeking justice after major disasters and create new offences for officials who deliberately mislead the public or seek to block accountability.

The prime minister made the legislation one of Labour’s defining manifesto commitments before entering government. Speaking at the party’s conference in Liverpool in 2024, he promised to introduce legislation before the next anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster – 15 April – saying families should never again have to fight the state to uncover the truth.

But despite the pledge, the bill was delayed after ministers clashed with campaigners over how it should be applied to the intelligence services. The law was to complete its Commons stages earlier this year, but the government postponed it after concerns from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ about its impact on national security operations and covert officers.

If the bill clears the Commons this week, it will represent a huge step toward embedding a legal duty across public authorities, an objective campaigners believe will help prevent cover-ups after disasters and major public tragedies.

Justice For The 97 Looks Closer Than Ever Before

The bill takes its name from the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters after a crowd crush at their team’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in Sheffield.

In 2016, nearly three decades after the disaster, a landmark inquest found those who died were unlawfully killed – and that the behaviour of Liverpool fans played no part in the tragedy, contrary to the false claims of officers and tabloid newspapers, who painted the Anfield faithful in a disgusting light.

The decades-long fight for justice by families exposed repeated failings by public bodies, including South Yorkshire police. While the acknowledgement that the fans themselves weren’t at fault for the tragedy was a huge step towards justice, a law that prevents the same mishandling and misreporting from happening again will feel like the missing piece to the story for most.