Miami/Kansas, July 12: The FIFA World Cup 2026 has its second semifinal confirmed after England and Argentina came through two gripping quarterfinals that demanded resilience, patience, and moments of brilliance. Neither favourite enjoyed an easy evening, but both found decisive goals in extra time to keep their title dreams alive. They will now face each other in Atlanta for a place in the World Cup final.
England edged Norway 2,1 in Miami thanks to another match-winning performance from Jude Bellingham. Thomas Tuchel’s side looked in trouble after Andreas Schjelderup fired Norway ahead in the 36th minute with a clinical finish. Norway, inspired by Erling Haaland’s movement and physical presence, looked capable of causing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
England, though, responded just before halftime. Bellingham arrived at the right moment to score the equaliser in first-half stoppage time, shifting the momentum before the break. The second half turned into a tactical battle. England controlled possession while Norway remained dangerous on the counterattack.
Norway thought it had restored its lead midway through the second half when Torbjørn Heggem found the net, only for VAR to rule out the goal after determining Haaland had committed a foul in the buildup. Haaland, who entered the match among the tournament’s leading scorers, was kept off the scoresheet by England’s disciplined defence.
With neither team able to find another goal in regulation time, the match moved into extra time. Just three minutes into the additional period, Bellingham struck again. His composed finish completed his brace and secured England’s place in the last four, their first World Cup semifinal appearance since 2018.
Argentina 3, Switzerland 1
A few hours later in Kansas City, Argentina overcame Switzerland 2,1 after another dramatic extra-time contest. Lionel Messi once again orchestrated much of Argentina’s attacking play, creating the opening goal with a pinpoint corner that Alexis Mac Allister headed home in the 10th minute.
Switzerland refused to fold. Their organised midfield gradually wrestled control, and Dan Ndoye equalised in the 67th minute with a well-taken finish. The Swiss looked increasingly confident until the match swung dramatically when Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card after a VAR review, reducing Switzerland to 10 men late in the game.
Argentina pressed relentlessly during extra time against the depleted Swiss defence. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 112th minute when substitute José Manuel López found Julián Álvarez, who curled a superb shot beyond goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to seal a 2,1 victory. Messi did not score but remained central to almost every dangerous Argentine attack, creating chances and controlling the tempo throughout the match.
The victories set up one of the tournament’s most anticipated semifinals. England arrive with Bellingham in outstanding form and a defence that successfully neutralised Haaland. Argentina, meanwhile, continue to lean on Messi’s experience and Álvarez’s finishing ability after surviving another physically demanding knockout match.
With both teams needing extra time to reach the semifinals, recovery could prove just as important as tactics when two of football’s biggest nations meet for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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