​The last two spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout rounds will be decided on Saturday as England take on Norway while defending champions Argentina face Switzerland. France and Spain have already secured their places in the semi-finals, leaving four teams in the running to complete the lineup. The quarterfinals see England and Argentina favored by the Opta supercomputer, but both Norway and Switzerland will be aiming to pull off another upset. Here is everything you need to know.
Norway versus England is set for Saturday, July 11, at 5pm local time (21:00 GMT) at Miami Stadium in the United States. Argentina meets Switzerland on the same day, Saturday, July 11, at 8pm local time (01:00 GMT on Sunday) at Kansas City Stadium in the United States. France versus Spain will take place on Tuesday, July 14 (19:00 GMT) at Dallas Stadium. The winner of England/Norway against Argentina/Switzerland will be decided on July 15 (19:00 GMT) at Atlanta Stadium.
England and Norway have met in the World Cup only once before, though they have played 12 total times overall. England lead the head-to-head 8-2, and Norway have not managed to score in their last four encounters. Their most recent meeting was a 1-0 England victory in a friendly in September 2014.
According to the Opta supercomputer, England are favorites to reach the semi-finals, with a 50.4 percent probability of winning inside 90 minutes based on 25,000 pre-match simulations. Including extra time and penalties, England’s overall chance of advancing rises to 62.3 percent. Norway are given a 25.1 percent chance of winning in normal time, while a draw after 90 minutes occurred in 24.6 percent of simulations.
The Argentina versus Switzerland clash tilts even more in favor of the defending champions. Argentina have been unbeaten in seven meetings with Switzerland, winning five and drawing two. Opta’s simulations assign Argentina a 57.1 percent probability of winning inside 90 minutes. Switzerland have an 18.7 percent chance of victory in normal time, with 24.2 percent of simulations ending in a draw after 90 minutes. Overall, Argentina are projected to reach the semi-finals in 69.4 percent of simulations, leaving Switzerland with a 30.6 percent chance of advancing to face either England or Norway.
The narrative around England versus Norway has sparked excitement among fans, who are embracing the historic “Vikings battle” storyline surrounding the clash. In other football news, Portugal have turned to veteran coach Jorge Jesus in a bid to rekindle the national team’s form after a disappointing World Cup campaign. The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed on Friday that the 71-year-old will take over from Roberto Martinez, who departed earlier this week following Portugal’s 1-0 Round of 16 defeat to Spain. Jesus returns to international duty after a long club career that has included successful spells and is seen as a move to rejuvenate Portugal’s fortunes ahead of future competitions.