England reach first semifinals since 2018 after extra-time win over Norway

Jude Bellingham scored in the third minute of extra time to lift England past Norway 2-1 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday, sending the English into their first World Cup semifinals since 2018. Bellingham had already levelled the match before the break, then settled a tense knockout game against a stubborn Norway side with the decisive finish after 90 minutes were not enough.

The result added another sharply defined home field to a tournament being staged in neutral American venues. In Miami Gardens, England’s surge carried the kind of noise and emotion that can make an NFL stadium feel like a temporary national ground, and the bracket now moves toward semifinal weekend on July 14 and 15 before the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.

That same supporter energy was on display in Kansas City, where Argentina and Switzerland met in the quarterfinal at Kansas City Stadium, also identified as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. FIFA set kickoff for 20:00 local time in Kansas City on Sunday, with the winner claiming the last place in the semifinal round. The matchup brought a different European and South American flavor to the U.S. stage, underlining how the tournament’s crowds can reshape the look and sound of each venue.

Argentina arrived after edging Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, while Switzerland reached the last eight by eliminating Colombia 4-3 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. The matchup also carried a familiar edge: the two sides met at the 2014 World Cup, when Argentina beat Switzerland 1-0 in the round of 16 on Ángel Di María’s goal in the 117th minute. That history, combined with the stakes of a quarterfinal played in front of a partisan, traveling crowd, gave Kansas City a distinctly international feel.

With England already through and Argentina and Switzerland fighting for the final semifinal berth, the tournament’s American footprint stretched from Miami Gardens to Kansas City and onward to the New York area. The next two matches will decide which national anthem echoes most loudly at MetLife Stadium on July 19.