​England booked a place in a World Cup semifinal on Saturday by defeating Norway, setting up a clash in Atlanta with either Lionel Messi’s Argentina or a resilient Switzerland side awaiting them. The date carries added tension because one potential opponent has never defeated England, while the other has just ended a 72-year drought by reaching the quarterfinals. The victory sends Thomas Tuchel’s team into a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, July 15, at 3 p.m. ET at Atlanta Stadium, where the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland quarterfinal will stand between England and a place in the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. England has not reached a World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966, and Saturday’s win already mirrors the path to the semifinals England navigated in 2018 under Gareth Southgate.
The other half of the bracket is set: France eliminated Morocco 2-0 and will meet Spain on Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas for the other semifinal. Argentina and Switzerland will open their quarterfinal at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Messi’s defending champions are favored to advance, though they have twice needed second-half heroes to survive the knockout rounds so far.
Argentina’s journey to this point has featured dramatic late resistance. They trailed Cape Verde before winning in extra time, then fell behind Egypt 2-0 with 23 minutes left in the round of 16 before Cristian Romero, Messi, and Enzo Fernandez combined for three goals in 13 second-half minutes to seal a 3-2 escape, according to Goal.com. Messi leads the tournament with eight goals, matching the total recorded by Kylian Mbappé for France. If Argentina advances, the matchup would pit Messi against an England defense already tested by Norway’s Erling Haaland, who is the tournament’s third-leading scorer. Tuchel’s back line has rotated through a different starting four in six straight matches, with Jarell Quansah suspended. A healthy Messi against that unsettled group is not a comfortable proposition.
Switzerland, meanwhile, has not trailed in any match this tournament, a remarkable feat that follows them into a quarterfinal against Argentina that Murat Yakin’s side earned by beating Algeria and then narrowly defeating Colombia on penalties, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel delivering the decisive save, according to RotoWire. It marks the Swiss program’s first quarterfinal since 1954, and a victory over Argentina would arguably be the greatest result in Swiss soccer history. Switzerland has also never beaten Argentina in seven all-time meetings, a gap that widens against teams with Argentina’s attacking firepower. Breel Embolo leads the Swiss attack with two goals, while Johan Manzambi, one of the tournament’s breakout stars, is questionable with a knee issue going into the quarterfinal. The Swiss’ tactics will be tested as they attempt to stun a defending champion and disrupt a high-powered England opponent that could lie in wait for a potential Messi-led assault on average.
England’s upcoming semifinal run will be watched with keen anticipation as fans consider how the team could navigate a potential final on July 19 in New Jersey. The quarterfinals and semifinals are rapidly tightening the narrative of a World Cup that has already produced dramatic twists, with England looking to extend a tradition of deep runs in recent tournaments while aiming to capture their first final appearance since the 1966 triumph.