Sutton backs France to edge Spain in World Cup semi, sees England chance vs Argentina

sources football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, tipping France to beat Spain in a clash he believes could have been the final, while suggesting England have a golden opportunity to overcome Argentina. “The semi-final between France and Spain should be the final based on what I’ve seen,” Sutton said. “Spain are the best footballing side in terms of the way they play and control games, while France have the firepower and the flair.” Sutton pointed to Lamine Yamal’s subdued form as a concern for Spain, noting that Nuno Mendes handled him comfortably in the round of 16. He expects France to exploit Spain’s high press on the counter-attack, predicting a 3-1 win for Didier Deschamps’ side. The AI prediction, generated by Microsoft Copilot Chat, also favors France, forecasting 2-1. Regarding England’s meeting with Argentina in Atlanta, Sutton believes Thomas Tuchel’s side face a weaker Argentina than in previous tournaments. “Argentina are the holders and they are streetwise and, of course, they have got Lionel Messi… but this is an average Argentina side compared to some of their great teams of the past,” he said. Sutton highlighted Argentina’s luck in the quarter-finals against Switzerland, where Breel Embolo’s red card changed the game. He noted that Argentina looked vulnerable in wide areas, with Nahuel Molina struggling against Dan Ndoye. “I’d definitely rather be playing Argentina than the Swiss,” Sutton added. All three predictors – Sutton, AI, and broadcaster users – correctly picked the four quarter-final winners. Users lead with 72% accuracy, while Sutton and AI both sit at 65%.