England and Argentina secured their places in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals on Saturday after hard-fought victories over Norway and Switzerland respectively.
England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time in Miami, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to send the Three Lions into the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history.
Norway had taken the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas Schjelderup, but Bellingham equalised just before half-time following a controversial build-up that prompted protests from Norwegian players. He then scored the winner in extra time to seal England’s progression.
Despite the victory, England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted his side must improve significantly if they hope to reach the final.
“We made life very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic, but we were very lucky,” Tuchel said after the match.
Norway coach Stale Solbakken also questioned the circumstances surrounding England’s equaliser, although FIFA later said there was no evidence that the ball had struck an overhead camera cable during the move.
In Kansas City, defending champions Argentina booked their place in the last four with a 3-1 extra-time victory over 10-man Switzerland.
Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina an early lead before Dan Ndoye equalised for Switzerland in the second half, forcing the match into extra time.
Switzerland’s hopes suffered a major setback when Breel Embolo was sent off after receiving a second yellow card following a VAR review.
Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead with a spectacular strike in the 112th minute before Lautaro Martinez sealed the win with a late goal on the counterattack.
Alvarez said Argentina had shown resilience throughout the contest, while coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged his team endured a difficult match but benefited from Switzerland’s numerical disadvantage.
The results set up one of the World Cup’s most anticipated rivalries, with England and Argentina scheduled to meet in the semi-finals on Wednesday in Atlanta.
The winners will face either France or Spain, who meet in the other semi-final, in the World Cup final on July 19.
