U.S. fans are excited for the 2026 World Cup semifinal games this week, but they’re not happy with the game times.
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Two World Cup semifinal games are set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the first semifinal game, France will be taking on Spain. In the second semifinal game, Argentina will be taking on England. It’s a loaded foursome, made up of the top four international soccer teams in the world.
But the start times of the games aren’t ideal for U.S. fans.
France will be facing Spain on Tuesday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m. E.T. The game will be taking place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Meanwhile, England will be facing Argentina on Wednesday, July 15 at 3:00 p.m. E.T. That game will be taking place at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia.
The 3 p.m. E.T. start times are nothing new for the World Cup. However, for two massive weekday games, it’s not ideal.
U.S. fans will have to watch from work, or miss the games entirely, unless they want to disrupt their days.
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The 3 p.m. E.T. start times are better for Europe, as those matches will be kicking off in primetime for countries like England, Spain, etc.
U.S. fans are a bit annoyed, though
“How am I supposed to watch at 3 p.m. on a weekday?” one fan wrote.
“Mid-afternoon start time for a World Cup game? Welp, I guess I can say goodbye to soccer,” another added.
“This is just frustrating. The World Cup is in the U.S.! Our start times should take priority,” another added.
“Guess I won’t be watching these games. They look great on paper, though,” another fan added.
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What do you make of the World Cup semifinal start times?
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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 10:45 AM.
