On Saturday, England play Norway for the remaining two spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, before defending champions Argentina take on Switzerland.
France and Spain have already qualified for the last four, with four remaining teams battling to complete the semi-final lineup. According to supercomputer Opta, England and Argentina will go into the quarter-finals as favorites, but Norway and Switzerland will be looking for further upsets.
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Here’s everything you need to know.
What is your schedule?
Norway vs. England, Saturday 11 July, 5pm (21:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, USA Argentina vs Switzerland, Saturday 11th July, 8:00pm (01:00 GMT) – Kansas City Stadium, USA
Who made it to the semifinals?
France vs. Spain, Tuesday 14th July (19:00GMT) – Dallas Stadium Norway/England vs. Argentina/Switzerland, 15th July (19:00GMT) – Atlanta Stadium
What are your predictions for Norway vs England?
England and Norway have played against each other 12 times in total, but this will be their first meeting at the World Cup. England hold the lead with eight wins to Norway’s two, with the Scandinavians failing to score in any of their last four matches. The most recent meeting between the two sides was a friendly in England in September 2014, which ended in a 1-0 win.
The Opta supercomputer has made England the favorites to progress to the semi-finals, giving the Three Lions a 50.4% chance of winning the match within 90 minutes, based on 25,000 pre-match simulations. England’s overall chance of winning, including extra time and penalties, rises to 62.3 per cent.
Norway’s win probability in normal times is 25.1 percent, but in the simulation it was 24.6 percent resulting in a draw after 90 minutes.
What are your predictions for Argentina vs Switzerland?
History strongly favors Argentina going into this quarterfinal. The defending champions remain undefeated in their last seven meetings with Switzerland, with five wins and two draws.
Opta named Argentina as a strong candidate to advance to the semi-finals. Based on 25,000 pre-match simulations, the supercomputer shows Lionel Messi’s side have a 57.1 percent chance of winning within 90 minutes.
Switzerland normally has an 18.7 percent chance of winning, but in the simulation 24.2 percent of the games end in a draw after 90 minutes. Overall, 69.4% of simulations give Argentina a chance of reaching the semi-finals, and a 30.6% chance of Switzerland facing England or Norway.
What else is going on?
England vs Norway: Battle of the Vikings
Fans are embracing the historic ‘Battle of the Vikings’ narrative of the England vs Norway match.
Portugal appoints new coach Jorge Jesus after World Cup disappointment
Portugal has turned to veteran coach Jorge Jesus to rebuild the national team after a disappointing World Cup season.
The Portuguese Football Federation announced on Friday that the 71-year-old will replace Roberto Martínez, whose retirement was announced earlier this week following Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round of 16.
Jesus returns to international football after a long club career that saw him work with Cristiano Ronaldo at Benfica, Sporting CP and most recently at Al Nasr in the Saudi Professional League.
His appointment comes amid heightened attention to Portugal’s World Cup performance and as coach Martinez continues to rely on the 41-year-old Ronaldo in his role as the focal point of the attack, drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike.
Ronaldo has said that the 2026 World Cup will be his last, but has not made it clear whether he intends to continue playing for Portugal. Jesus, who described the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as an “icon” of Portuguese sport, said he would speak to Ronaldo before a decision is made about his international future.
Why Erling Haaland became Mexico’s unlikely hero
Haaland unexpectedly became an honorary Mexican on social media after hugging a fan upset by Mexico’s World Cup exit at the hands of England.
The Norwegian striker responded to a post by a Mexican supporter who had adopted Norway as his team for the quarter-finals, leaning into the joke. After a video went viral that included footage of Haaland performing traditional Viking handclaps to banda music, Haaland responded from her official account, saying, “I can hear it 🇲🇽🌮.”
The love online grew even stronger when another fan urged him to eliminate England in favor of Mexico. Haaland responded with a phrase that has been chanted among Mexican supporters during this World Cup: “Y si si? 🇲🇽😉” (“What if I do it?”).
Morocco loses, eyes on co-hosting the 2030 World Cup
Morocco’s World Cup journey ended with a 2-0 loss to France in the quarter-finals, falling short of replicating the historic semi-final record that captured the world’s attention four years ago.
Atlas Lions were once again stopped by Les Bleus, but their campaign nevertheless marked another milestone. Morocco defeated the Netherlands, who were ultimately eliminated in Boston, becoming the first African nation to reach consecutive quarterfinals at the World Cup.
All eyes are now on 2030, when Morocco will jointly host the World Cup with Portugal and Spain, automatically qualifying as the host nation.
Coach Ouabi said after the loss, “We have a young team that wants to grow and will continue to grow.” “We have talented players who will help us continue to grow.”
England’s Kane fends off comparisons with Haaland
Harry Kane played down comparisons with Haaland on the eve of England’s World Cup quarter-final match against Norway, insisting the two strikers are too different to judge against each other.
This meeting also has special significance in the race for the Golden Boot. Haaland has scored seven goals in this competition, one more than Kane, and both are trailing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, who are leading the league with eight goals.
When asked who was the better striker, Kane declined to give a direct answer.
“We are completely different players,” said the England captain. “We’re both number nines, but we play differently. I like to get on the ball more while being able to play as an out-and-out striker.”
Instead, Kane praised Haaland’s incredible scoring ability.
“Physically he is a machine, a beast. His finishing is at the highest level and his scoring record speaks for itself,” Kane said. “I have a lot of respect for him, but I hope tomorrow will be a calm day.”
Mbappé maintains comparisons with French greats on ice as semi-finals beckon
France are two games away from winning the World Cup, but captain Kylian Mbappé believes it is too early to draw comparisons with the country’s strongest side.
Les Bleus secured a place in the semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win over Morocco, continuing an impressive campaign in which Mbappé and Ousmane Dembele combined to score 13 goals. However, the France captain insisted that this generation still has to earn its place in history.
“I won the World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022, but this team has not achieved anything yet,” Mbappe said. “We have so much quality in the team that we probably have the greatest potential, but potential alone does not make us the strongest team.”
Jude Bellingham and Haaland: friends turned World Cup rivals
One of the most unexpected storylines of the World Cup has little to do with tactics or trophies.
When England’s Jude Bellingham and Norway’s Erling Haaland meet in the quarter-finals on Saturday, fans will have their eyes on more than just two of football’s brightest stars. Their friendship, forged during their time together at Borussia Dortmund, has become one of the most talked about off-field stories of the tournament.
Old videos of the pair joking, hugging and celebrating together have resurfaced on social media, much to the delight of fans and a rare glimpse into the true camaraderie between the two players as they prepare to stand opposite each other in one of the biggest games of the World Cup.
