England moved a step closer to ending their 60-year wait for a FIFA World Cup title after defeating Norway 2-1 following extra time in the quarter-finals. Thomas Tuchel’s side will now face defending champions Argentina in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta, with a place in the World Cup final at stake.
Jude Bellingham once again proved to be England’s key player, scoring both goals to take his tournament tally to six. His performances have been instrumental in England’s progress, with the midfielder continuing his impressive form after also scoring twice in the previous round against Mexico.
Played in difficult hot and humid conditions in Miami, the match was closely contested from the opening whistle. Norway made a positive start and took the lead midway through the first half when Andreas Schjelderup’s cross-shot caught England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford by surprise and found its way into the net.
England responded by increasing the pressure, creating several opportunities before eventually finding an equaliser in first-half stoppage time. Bellingham collected the ball following a driving run into the penalty area before calmly placing his shot into the bottom corner.
Norway questioned the build-up to the goal, claiming the ball had made contact with an overhead camera cable before England regained possession. However, FIFA confirmed that the match ball’s tracking system detected no contact, allowing the goal to stand.
The second half produced chances for both teams. Norway missed a good opportunity to extend their advantage earlier in the match when Alexander Sørloth opted not to pass to Erling Haaland during a promising counter-attack. England also threatened, but neither side managed to find a decisive goal during normal time.
With extra time underway and penalties appearing increasingly likely, England eventually secured the winner. Substitute Morgan Rogers tested goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland with a long-range effort, and after the Norwegian keeper was unable to hold the shot, Bellingham reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range.
The victory sends England into only their fourth World Cup semi-final and keeps alive hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time since their 1966 success.
Their next opponents will be Argentina, who secured a 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in Kansas City.
Argentina opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes through Alexis Mac Allister. The midfielder was left unmarked from a corner and headed home after being picked out by Lionel Messi.
Switzerland gradually settled into the game and created several chances before the break, with Breel Embolo coming closest. Shortly after half-time, Embolo again threatened, but an excellent block from Lisandro Martínez prevented what looked to be a certain equaliser.
The Swiss continued to apply pressure and were rewarded when Dan Ndoye combined well with Ricardo Rodríguez before finishing from a narrow angle to make it 1-1.
The match then changed following a VAR review. Initially, Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was shown a yellow card after a challenge involving Embolo. However, under FIFA’s updated mistaken identity protocol, the referee reviewed the incident and instead issued Embolo a second yellow card for simulation, reducing Switzerland to ten players.
Argentina pushed for a winner during the closing stages of normal time, with both Messi and Mac Allister going close, but Switzerland defended well enough to force extra time.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the first period of extra time. Julián Álvarez produced an excellent strike from outside the penalty area, finding the top corner to restore Argentina’s lead.
Switzerland attempted to respond despite being a player down, but Argentina remained in control. In the closing minutes, Lautaro Martínez added a third goal to confirm a 3-1 victory and secure another World Cup semi-final appearance for the reigning champions.
The upcoming meeting between England and Argentina will be one of the standout fixtures of the tournament. England are aiming to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 and are now only two matches away from ending a six-decade wait for football’s biggest prize.
Argentina, meanwhile, continue their defence of the title they won four years ago and will be looking to prevent England from moving one step closer to history. With both teams featuring experienced internationals alongside emerging stars, Wednesday’s semi-final promises to be a closely contested encounter, with the winners advancing to face either France or Spain in the World Cup final.