England Advance via Extra-Time Win Over Norway, While Argentina Edges Ten-Man Switzerland in World Cup Quarterfinals

Published on 12/07/2026 – 8:06 GMT+2

Thomas Tuchel’s England progressed to the World Cup semifinals after a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory against Norway in Miami on Saturday.

Norway opened the scoring late in the first half when an Andreas Schjelderup cross appeared to catch Jordan Pickford off guard, dipping over the goalkeeper and striking the post before finding the net.

England responded before the break, with Jude Bellingham extending his remarkable tournament scoring streak by clinical finishing with a composed left-footed strike just before halftime.

Seeking more control, Tuchel implemented tactical changes at the interval, replacing struggling Noni Madueke and Declan Rice with Arsenal teammates Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze.

Norway gained significant momentum in the second half and appeared to be the more dominant side. They were denied a goal when Torbjørn Heggem’s effort was ruled out for an Erling Haaland foul on Elliot Anderson, and they subsequently saw a header strike the crossbar.

The deadlock held until extra time, when Bellingham reacted fastest to convert a rebound following an Ørjan Nyland save in the 93rd minute. England then faced a controversial moment when a penalty appeal for a foul on Djed Spence was overturned following a VAR review, much to the frustration of the English supporters.

Despite the tension, England maintained their composure through solid defensive play as a fatigued Norwegian side began to struggle. Tuchel’s side is scheduled to face Argentina in the semifinals in Atlanta this Wednesday, with the victor set to play either Spain or France in the World Cup final.

In another quarterfinal matchup, Lionel Messi’s Argentina secured their advancement with a victory over Switzerland in Kansas City.

Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister gave the Argentines an early lead with a header, but Dan Ndoye leveled the score for Switzerland in the 67th minute.

The Swiss side’s chances were diminished when striker Breel Embolo was reduced to ten men after receiving a second yellow card for simulation.

Argentina ultimately secured the win during extra time, with Julián Alvarez netting a brilliant curling goal in the 112th minute, followed by a late strike from Lautaro Martínez to finalize the 3-1 scoreline.

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