​Rephrased England history in World Cup semifinals: How Three Lions have fared in past final fours on the biggest stage, originally published by The Sporting News. Please note The Sporting News is listed as a preferred source.
While the performance may not have been aesthetically pleasing, England reached the 2026 World Cup semifinals after securing a 2-1 extra-time victory over Erling Haaland’s Norway. Two goals from Jude Bellingham were enough to carry England into their first semifinal since 2018, when they were eliminated by Croatia after extra time. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of England’s last World Cup trophy, won in 1966. Although England is often regarded as possessing one of the world’s strongest national teams, the country has surprisingly few semifinal appearances.
Here is how the Three Lions have fared in their World Cup semifinal history. Throughout their World Cup campaigns, England has reached three semifinal matches, posting a record of 1 win, 0 draws, and 2 losses in those games. The opponents they faced in those semifinals were: 2018 against Croatia (2-1, L after extra time), 1990 against West Germany (1-1, L on penalties), and 1966 against Portugal (2-1, W).
England has not won a World Cup quarterfinal in six decades, and the 2026 tournament offers another chance to end that drought. All of England’s semifinal losses came after regulation time, with the most recent defeat occurring in 2018 when Mario Mandzukic’s late goal in the 109th minute secured Croatia’s victory.
In 2018, England did manage a memorable moment by taking an early lead through a sublime free kick from Kieran Trippier in the fifth minute. The right-back curled the ball into the top-right corner past a sprawling Croatian defense. England held the lead until the 68th minute when Ivan Perišić equalized, and the match remained scoreless through extra time until Mandžukić struck in the 109th minute to end England’s run in Russia.
Here are highlights from the 2018 semifinal encounter for reference. As for the 2026 World Cup, England has not yet learned their semifinal opponent, awaiting the outcome of the Argentina vs. Switzerland match on Saturday night. England’s sole World Cup triumph to date remains their 1966 victory on home soil. This summary reflects England’s semifinal history and their ongoing pursuit of another deep run on football’s biggest stage.
Note: This rewrite is designed to improve SEO and readability while preserving the essential historical details and context from The Sporting News.