Jude Bellingham and Sander Berge. Photo: Getty Images
Bellingham Is Once Again England’s Hero
In Miami, England defeated Norway 2–1 in extra time. The Norwegians opened the scoring through Andreas Schieldrup, but Jude Bellingham equalized shortly before halftime.
Regular time ended in a tie, but in the 30-minute extra time, it was Bellingham who scored his second goal, securing a spot in the semifinals for Thomas Tuchel’s team. The Real Madrid midfielder once again confirmed his status as one of the English national team’s key players at this World Cup.
For Norway, the defeat brought an end to their historic run in the tournament. The team reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in many years, but Erling Haaland, who had shone in previous matches, was unable to make a decisive impact on the game this time.
Argentina edged out Switzerland in extra time
In the second quarterfinal, the defending world champions also faced stiff resistance. As early as the 10th minute, Alexis McAllister put Argentina ahead after a corner kick taken by Lionel Messi, but in the second half, Dan N’Doye equalized.
The key moment of the match came when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off midway through the second half. Down to ten men, the Swiss managed to force the game into extra time but were unable to hold on for a draw.
In the 112th minute, Julián Álvarez put Argentina back in front with a magnificent long-range shot, and in stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez sealed the victory with a 3–1 final score.
A Semifinal Steeped in History
The victory set Argentina up against England—rivals whose encounters have long been part of soccer history. The teams have faced off numerous times at World Cups, and their rivalry is linked to some of the most famous moments in world soccer—from the 1966 quarterfinal to the legendary 1986 match featuring “the Hand of God” and Diego Maradona’s goal, as well as the 1998 match that ended in a penalty shootout.
This time, the stakes are once again as high as they can be—the winner will advance to the World Cup final, where they will face the winner of the France-Spain match.
Following the quarterfinals, the tournament has retained its quartet of top favorites. France, Spain, England, and Argentina will play in the semifinals—four teams that most experts had named as the top contenders for the title even before the tournament began.
