For the first time since Fifa rankings began, the four highest-ranked teams reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. Multiple reports note that no other tournament has seen the top four in the Fifa ranking order all advance to the last four, making this a record alignment between pre-tournament ranking and the final stages of the competition. The coverage emphasizes the historic nature of the achievement, focusing on the statistical milestone rather than individual match details or specific teams’ paths to the semi-finals. While the sources are brief, they consistently describe the same outcome: the semi-finals include each of the four teams that are ranked highest by Fifa. The reports therefore present the semi-final line-up as unprecedented in the context of World Cup history under the Fifa ranking system.