KABUL (Pajhwok): Argentina and England have secured their places in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Switzerland and Norway respectively, setting up a highly anticipated last-four clash between the two teams.
England advanced with a 2-1 victory over Norway, inspired by a standout performance from Jude Bellingham.
Norway took the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas Schjelderup, but Bellingham levelled the score in first-half stoppage time before scoring the decisive goal in the first period of extra time.
With his two goals, Bellingham raised his World Cup tally to six, joining Harry Kane as England’s joint top scorer in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Argentina became the final team to reach the semi-finals after defeating Switzerland 3-1 following extra time in the last quarter-final.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for Argentina in the 10th minute after receiving an assist from Lionel Messi, but Switzerland responded through Dan Ndoye, who equalised in the 67th minute.
Switzerland were reduced to 10 players in the 72nd minute after Breel Embolo was sent off following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
In extra time, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez scored to secure Argentina’s victory, sending the defending champions into the semi-finals after a third consecutive knockout-stage match that required extra time.
Argentina and England will now meet in the semi-finals in one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
kk/sa
