Two games. Two stadiums. One extraordinary day of FIFA World Cup 2026™ quarter-final football that delivered everything — disallowed goals, red cards, VAR drama, extra time, and two moments of individual brilliance that will define this tournament. On 12 July, England and Argentina both survived. But they were stretched to their limit.
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Miami Stadium: England 2–1 Norway (AET)
The first quarter-final of the day, at Miami Stadium, was two hours of football that refused to be settled cleanly. Goals disallowed. A penalty given and then cancelled. But Jude Bellingham scored twice, arriving at the decisive moment.
Norway drew first blood. Andreas Schjelderup struck a looping, dipping effort from a tight angle on 36 minutes that Pickford had no answer to. Norway 1–0. England equalised in first-half stoppage time: Anthony Gordon found Bellingham in the box, and Bellingham’s finish was clinical and calm. 1–1. Then Harry Kane chipped the Norwegian keeper beautifully — VAR ruled it out. Agonisingly close offside.
The second half added more layers. Norway thought they had retaken the lead through Torbjørn Heggem, only for VAR to disallow it — an Erling Haaland foul in the build-up. England pressed without finding a way through. Haaland lurked on every counter. Ninety minutes: still 1–1.
Extra time, third minute: Morgan Rogers drove a 20-yard shot at goal. Norway keeper Ørjan Nyland stopped the ball, but it spilled away. Bellingham pounced. 2–1. England had their lead again — and this time they held it, even after a penalty for Spence was overturned by VAR in the 101st minute. Jude Bellingham: two goals, two decisive moments. England into the FIFA World Cup 2026™ semi-finals.
Kansas City Stadium: Argentina 3–1 Switzerland (AET)
If Miami provided the drama, Kansas City provided the spectacle. Argentina and Switzerland played out a quarter-final with almost as many twists — Mac Allister’s 10th-minute header from a Messi corner gave Argentina the lead, Dan Ndoye equalised in the 67th, and then five minutes later Breel Embolo received his second yellow card in the match and was sent off after a VAR-confirmed simulation foul. Switzerland were level but down to ten men.
Extra time saw Julián Álvarez produce the goal of the quarter-finals — a curling, unstoppable strike into the top corner from the edge of the box after a pass from López. Lautaro Martínez added a third from a rebound in the final seconds of extra time. Argentina 3–1 Switzerland. The defending champions march on.
The Semi-Finals Are Set
The quarter-finals are concluded. England will face Argentina in the semi-final. Bellingham against Messi. Tuchel against Scaloni. The other semi-final is between France and Spain. It is these kinds of fixtures that stop the footballing world in its tracks — matches between four of football’s most storied nations at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
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