England Beat Norway in Extra Time to Book Argentina Semifinal Clash

Jude Bellingham struck twice, the second three minutes into extra time, to send England past Norway 2-1 and into a FIFA World Cup semifinal against Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta. It is the Three Lions’ fourth semifinal in program history and their first since a 2018 loss to Croatia at the same stage.

Saturday’s match in Miami was the third straight knockout game England needed a fightback or extra time to escape, and manager Thomas Tuchel admitted afterward the performance was fortunate. A battle-tested Argentina side, unbeaten through six matches and playing behind Lionel Messi’s likely final World Cup run, arrives next to test whether that habit of surviving on fumes holds up.

Bellingham Strikes Twice Through a Cable Controversy

Andreas Schjelderup put Norway ahead in the 36th minute at Hard Rock Stadium, finishing confidently to silence a crowd stacked with England shirts. Bellingham leveled it in first-half stoppage time, though the goal drew instant scrutiny after replays suggested the ball had brushed an overhead cable during the move.

FIFA issued a statement addressing the incident. Fans online nicknamed it the “Cable of God”, a wink at Diego Maradona’s own controversial goal against England, according to Yahoo Sports. Norway held on through a scoreless second half before Bellingham struck the winner, pouncing on a spilled save from goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland off a Morgan Rogers shot.

England thought they had a stoppage-time penalty when Djed Spence went down in the box, but the shout was overturned by VAR. England still managed seven shots on target from 14 attempts, one more than Norway despite similar overall chance creation.

Erling Haaland, who had called Norway’s title chances “really low” before kickoff, never got a shooting chance to prove himself wrong. He was substituted during extra time without scoring. It ended a streak of goals in each of his first four matches at the tournament, part of a run of 14 straight competitive outings on the scoresheet for Norway.

A Habit of Cutting It Close

Kane, Ten Men and Extra Time

Saturday’s win followed a pattern. England trailed DR Congo before two late Harry Kane goals rescued a 2-1 win in the Round of 32. They then beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca while playing more than half an hour with 10 men after Jarell Quansah’s red card. Against Norway, it took a full 120 minutes again.

Tuchel did not sugarcoat it afterward. He called the win “lucky” and the performance “sloppy”, comments that revived questions about a squad he built two months earlier under heavy criticism.

The Names Still Missing

Tuchel’s 26-man selection left out several players English fans expected to see across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

• Cole Palmer, the Chelsea forward Tuchel said “wasn’t as decisive” through the season leading into the tournament.
• Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose passing range is still cited by critics of England’s build-up play.
• Levi Colwill, Adam Wharton and Luke Shaw, younger or more versatile options passed over for continuity picks.

Tuchel defended the approach when he first named the squad. “We were looking to build the best possible team. Not necessarily the 26 most talented players,” he told reporters, according to beIN Sports.

Former England midfielder Nicky Butt went further after the win over DR Congo. “I don’t care what anyone says, the squad’s wrong,” Butt told Paddy Power. “Deep down he’ll never admit it but he’ll know that he should have taken Trent Alexander-Arnold, 100%.”

The gaps have shown up at right back too. An injury to Reece James pushed Djed Spence into a starting role that CBS Sports and other pundits describe as his fifth-choice position.

Argentina Arrives Just as Battered

Argentina’s route to Atlanta has been no gentler. Lionel Scaloni’s side swept Group J, then needed extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32. Egypt pushed them to the brink next, racing to a two-goal lead before Argentina scored twice in four minutes and won 3-2 on Enzo Fernández’s 93rd-minute strike.

The quarterfinal against Switzerland followed a similar script. Alexis Mac Allister headed in a Messi cross inside 10 minutes. Dan Ndoye equalized for 10-man Switzerland after Breel Embolo’s second yellow card for simulation. Julián Álvarez finally settled it with a 25-yard strike in the 112th minute of a 3-1 win.

Both teams have needed extra time twice in three knockout matches, and both have leaned on their biggest star for a late intervention to survive.

History Last Wrote This Chapter in 2002

Wednesday will be the first World Cup meeting between England and Argentina since 2002, and the fixture rarely needs an introduction. Bellingham’s brace against Norway made him the first player to score two or more goals in consecutive World Cup knockout matches at the same tournament since Diego Maradona managed it in 1986, against England itself.

1. 1966: England win their only World Cup, beating West Germany at Wembley.
2. 1986: Maradona’s Hand of God, followed by a mazy solo run, eliminates England in the quarterfinal at the Azteca.
3. 1998: David Beckham is sent off in the Round of 16 and Argentina go through on penalties.
4. 2002: Beckham’s penalty settles a group-stage rematch, the two nations’ last World Cup meeting before this one.

Jordan Pickford added a quieter piece of history of his own. His appearance in Miami let him overtake Peter Shilton’s World Cup appearance record, a mark the pair had shared at 17 games apiece.

Messi’s Likely Farewell Meets a Golden Boot Race

This is also the first World Cup in which the semifinals feature the top four teams in FIFA’s world rankings: France first, Argentina second, Spain third and England fourth.

Messi is widely expected to play his final World Cup match within the next week, whether in the semifinal or the final. He arrives level with Kylian Mbappé atop the Golden Boot race on eight goals apiece, with Kane and Bellingham next on six each for England. Haaland’s seven goals for Norway still rank third even after Saturday’s scoreless exit.

• ESPN’s Connelly and Carlisle both predict a 2-1 England win in regulation, pointing to fresher legs after Argentina’s third straight energy-draining extra-time match.
• ESPN’s Becherano expects a 2-2 draw settled by penalties, backing Emiliano Martínez’s shootout record in Argentina’s goal.
• FIFAWorldCupNews.com’s staff prediction has Argentina winning 2-1, citing Messi’s “big-game pedigree” as the difference.

Bookmakers split the difference too. England carries an implied 57.45 percent chance of reaching the final for the first time in 60 years, yet Under 2.5 goals remains the market’s favorite for the total, according to Sports Illustrated’s betting desk.

England Football’s own fixture list confirms a third-place match scheduled for July 18 in Miami, regardless of Wednesday’s outcome. Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is set for 3 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, July 15, with the winner advancing to face France or Spain in the final on July 19.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Channel Is Showing England vs Argentina?

FOX and FOX One carry Wednesday’s semifinal in English in the United States, with Telemundo handling Spanish-language coverage. The match also streams through the Fox Sports app and Peacock, according to listings compiled by FIFAWorldCupNews.com.

What Happens if England and Argentina Are Level After Extra Time?

The semifinal goes straight to a penalty shootout if the score is level after 120 minutes, the same format used in every knockout round this tournament. Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, carries a reputation as one of the game’s foremost shootout specialists, a factor ESPN’s pundits weighed heavily in their predictions.

How Many World Cup Titles Have England and Argentina Won?

England have won the World Cup once, in 1966. Argentina have won it three times, most recently in 2022, and would join Brazil and Italy as the only nations to defend the title successfully if they beat both England and the France-Spain winner.

What Is Lionel Messi’s World Cup Career Record?

Messi already holds the World Cup’s all-time assist record and ranks among its leading career scorers, on top of the title he won with Argentina in 2022, according to FOX Sports. His tournament-high eight goals keep him level with Mbappé for this year’s Golden Boot heading into the semifinal.