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On Saturday, the complete semifinal lineup for the was established with two quarterfinal matches that pushed the participants to their limits: England came from behind against Norway to advance, and Argentina needed extra time to defeat Switzerland and keep their dream of defending the title alive.
Jude Bellingham was the big hero of the match held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the Three Lions triumphed 2-1 over the Norwegians with a brace from the midfielder.
Norway, which had reached the quarter-finals for the first time in its history after eliminating Brazil in the round of 16 with a double from Erling Haaland, took the lead on the scoreboard thanks to a shot from Andreas Schjelderup that went in with the help of the post in the 36th minute.
England reacted before halftime with Bellingham's equalizer and, as the match seemed to be heading towards extra time, the midfielder himself seized on a rebound in extra time to score the decisive goal and complete a comeback that put England into the semifinals for the first time since 1990.
In Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium was the setting for a much more challenging duel for the Albiceleste.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for Argentina, but Dan Ndoye equalized for Switzerland near the end of regulation time and forced extra time, repeating the pattern of a champion team that isn't entirely convincing yet always finds a way to move forward.
In extra time, Julián Álvarez unlocked the match with a spectacular goal in the 112th minute, and Lautaro Martínez sealed the qualification with a 3-1 score in the dying moments of the extra period, allowing Argentina to prevail against Switzerland in extra time and return to the World Cup semifinals.
Switzerland, which had eliminated Colombia on penalties in the Round of 16, reached its best quarter-finals since 1954 with this tournament, highlighting the achievement of the Swiss team despite their elimination.
Lionel Messi, for his part, shares the top of the tournament's goalscoring table with Kylian Mbappé, adding another chapter to the rivalry between these two stars in this World Cup.
With the four semifinalists now determined—France, Spain, England, and Argentina—the tournament is entering its final stretch with high-stakes matchups.
France and Spain will face each other on Tuesday, July 14, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, while on Wednesday, July 15, at 3:00 PM Cuba time, one of the most historically charged matchups in world football will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta: Argentina against England, a rivalry that began on the playing fields but has its roots in the Falklands War of 1982 and legendary matches such as the one in Mexico 1986, featuring Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century."
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