England and Argentina prevail in extra time to book semi-final clash

England and defending champions Argentina booked their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after hard-fought extra-time victories on Saturday, setting up a mouthwatering clash between two of football's traditional powerhouses. Jude Bellingham was England's hero once again, scoring twice as the Three Lions fought back to beat Norway 2-1 in Miami, while Julián Álvarez's stunning extra-time strike inspired Argentina to a 3-1 victory over 10-man Switzerland in Kansas City. The victories mean England and Argentina will meet in Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta, while France face Spain in the other last-four encounter on Tuesday in Dallas. Bellingham inspires England comeback England needed all of their resilience to overcome a spirited Norwegian side that threatened to produce another World Cup upset. Ståle Solbakken's men were the better side for much of the first half and deservedly went ahead in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup's teasing cross from the left evaded everyone, struck the inside of the far post and bounced into the net beyond a helpless Jordan Pickford. Norway continued to frustrate England with disciplined defending and looked comfortable until Bellingham produced a moment of quality just before halftime. The Real Madrid midfielder controlled Anthony Gordon's pass superbly inside the area, glided past two defenders and rifled a left-footed finish beyond Ørjan Nyland in first-half stoppage time to restore parity. The equaliser changed the complexion of the match, but Norway nearly reclaimed the lead early in the second half. Torbjørn Heggem bundled home from close range following a corner, only for VAR to intervene. After a review, referee Clément Turpin ruled that Erling Haaland had fouled Elliot Anderson in the build-up, disallowing the goal. Neither side could find a winner during the remainder of normal time, sending the quarter-final into extra time. It took England just three minutes to seize control. Morgan Rogers' long-range effort slipped through Nyland's grasp, and Bellingham reacted quickest to smash the rebound into the roof of the net for his second goal of the evening. England thought they had been awarded a penalty moments later when Djed Spence went down inside the box, but another VAR review showed the defender had initiated the contact, prompting Turpin to overturn his original decision. Norway pushed desperately for an equaliser but struggled to create clear-cut chances, allowing England to hold firm and secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history. The victory also reinforced Bellingham's growing reputation as England's talisman, with the midfielder continuing to deliver on football's biggest stage. Argentina survive Swiss scare Defending champions Argentina also needed extra time to keep their dream of retaining the World Cup alive, overcoming a determined Switzerland side 3-1 after a fiercely contested encounter. Lionel Scaloni's men made the ideal start when Alexis Mac Allister headed home Lionel Messi's inviting cross after just 10 minutes. The early breakthrough, however, failed to spark the defending champions into life. Switzerland gradually grew into the contest and deservedly equalised in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye, who exchanged passes with Ricardo Rodríguez before calmly finishing beneath Emiliano Martínez. The game's defining moment arrived five minutes later. Breel Embolo appeared to have won a free-kick after going down under a challenge from Leandro Paredes, with the Argentine midfielder initially booked. However, following a VAR review under FIFA's new mistaken-identity protocol, referee João Pinheiro overturned the decision, ruling that Embolo had simulated the contact. Already on a yellow card, the Swiss striker was shown a second booking and sent off, reducing Switzerland to 10 men. Despite their numerical advantage, Argentina were unable to find a breakthrough before the end of regulation as Switzerland defended resolutely to force extra time. The resistance finally ended in the 112th minute when Julián Álvarez cut inside from the left before unleashing a magnificent curling strike into the top corner beyond Gregor Kobel. With Switzerland committing bodies forward in search of another equaliser, Lautaro Martínez sealed the result deep into stoppage time, finishing off a swift counterattack to send Argentina into the last four. The victory keeps alive Argentina's bid to become only the third nation (after Italy and Brazil) to successfully defend the World Cup title. Standing in their way now is an England side inspired by the brilliance of Bellingham, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated semi-finals of the tournament. Quarter-final results Norway 1-2 England (after extra time) Goals: Andreas Schjelderup 36'; Jude Bellingham 45+2', 93' Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (after extra time) Goals: Alexis Mac Allister 10', Julián Álvarez 112', Lautaro Martínez 120+1'; Dan Ndoye 67' Semi-finals Tuesday: France vs Spain (Dallas) Wednesday: Argentina vs England (Atlanta)