PETALING JAYA: Readers of The Star correctly picked three of the four FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finalists – Argentina, France and Spain – in a reader poll.
The Star ran the poll on July 4, before the Round of 16 began, asking fans which teams they expected to advance to the semi-finals.
The poll garnered 2,612 votes from readers in Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Argentina topped the poll with 554 votes, followed by France (548), Spain (407) and Brazil (295).
Brazil was the only top-four pick to fall short, exiting in the Round of 16.
England, which managed to reach the last four, ended up as the fifth-most popular pick in the poll with 258 votes.
As it turned out in the quarter-finals, Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1, France defeated Morocco 2-0, Spain ousted Belgium 2-1, and England got the better of Norway with a 2-1 victory.
The blockbuster semi-final clashes begin tomorrow (Wednesday July 15) with France facing Spain at 3am Malaysian time, and England taking on Argentina on Thursday at the same time.
Die-hard France fan Atan Ibrahim said he had expected Les Bleus (the nickname of French national sports teams) to advance deep in the tournament with its attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise.
“Those three have impressed me the most for their speed and lethal finishing,” he said.
Atan, who has supported France since 2002, said his dream final would be a France-England showdown.
Spain fan Aideelnorfahmee, 34, said he had expected La Roja (the nickname of the Spanish football team) to reach the semi-finals because of its quality and style of play.
“Spain have always had a strong football philosophy. I knew it would not be easy but believed they had what it takes to reach at least the semis,” said the engineer, who is predicting a Spain-England final.
“Spain has been playing with consistency and confidence, while England have shown they can grind out results even in difficult matches.
"I think these two have the strongest balance between quality and mentality.”
England fan Fara Yusof, who has supported the Three Lions since the 1998 World Cup, admitted she had not expected her favourite team to reach the semi-finals before the tournament began.
“I thought England would probably reach the quarters at best because the squad selection surprised me,” she said.
However, she said England’s opening win over Croatia changed her outlook, saying she started to believe in the famous rallying cry of "It's coming home" by English football fans.
“England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and emphasis on teamwork have beaten groups of individual superstars.
"Harry Kane has been a brilliant, selfless captain and his leadership has brought out the best in Jude Bellingham,” said Fara, who picked an England-France final.
“If England overcomes Argentina, it’s coming home for sure!”
So, which two teams will make the final?
Cast your vote in our poll below!
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