England and Argentina Battle Through Extra Time — How the Last Two Quarter-Finals Set the Semis

The last two quarter-finals both went the distance, and both ended with the favourite through — but only after extra time. England needed a Jude Bellingham brace to see off Norway 2-1; Argentina ground down 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after a red-card flashpoint turned the tie. With those results, the World Cup 2026 semi-finals are set: France vs Spain and England vs Argentina. Here is the practitioner’s recap — what happened, what it means for the bracket, and how the outright board moved on the back of it.

TL;DR — What you need to know in 30 seconds

• QF3: England 2-1 Norway (aet). Andreas Schjelderup put Norway ahead (36′); Bellingham equalised in first-half stoppage time (45+2′) and won it three minutes into extra time (93′).
• QF4: Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (aet). Mac Allister (10′) and Ndoye (67′) traded goals; Switzerland’s Breel Embolo was sent off (72′, second yellow for simulation after VAR); Álvarez (112′) and Lautaro Martínez (120+1′) broke the 10 men.
• Semis set: France vs Spain (July 14, Dallas) and England vs Argentina (July 15, Atlanta).
• Historic four: France, Spain, England and Argentina — the first time the four top-ranked FIFA sides have all reached a World Cup semi-final.
• Eliminated in the QF: Morocco, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland.
• Odds effect: England shortened sharply on reaching the semi (5.60–6.54 → 4.10–5.90); Argentina steady (5.00–5.20); Bellingham’s brace (now 6 goals) lifted him into the Golden Boot outside band.

Results verified against FIFA, ESPN, Al Jazeera and TSN match reports (July 11, 2026). Odds collected July 13, 2026 (AM ET); ranges shown where books differ.

The results, in one table

Scores and scorers from FIFA, ESPN and TSN (July 11, 2026). QF1 France 2-0 Morocco (July 9) and QF2 Spain 2-1 Belgium (July 10) completed the last eight earlier in the week.

QF3 — Bellingham drags England through at Hard Rock Stadium

At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Norway did the hard part first: Andreas Schjelderup put them ahead on 36 minutes. England looked rattled until Bellingham levelled in first-half stoppage time (45+2′) to make it 1-1 at the break. The winner came three minutes into extra time — Bellingham pounced on a ricochet off the Norway keeper to complete his brace and send England into their first World Cup final-four since 2018. It also set up a first meeting with Argentina since 2002.

The practitioner’s read: England were second-best for long stretches and needed their most expensive player to bail them out twice. That is a semi-finalist who wins ugly — useful for backing them in tight matches, a warning against laying heavy handicaps on them.

QF4 — a red card turns the tie at Arrowhead Stadium

Argentina vs Switzerland was level at 1-1 after 90 minutes — Mac Allister’s early opener (10′) cancelled out by Dan Ndoye (67′). The tie turned on a flashpoint: Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute, a second yellow for simulation after a VAR review (the referee had initially booked Paredes; the replay showed Embolo went down before contact). Down to 10 men, Switzerland held out until extra time, when Julián Álvarez (112′) and Lautaro Martínez deep in stoppage time (120+1′) finished them off. Switzerland exited furious; Argentina reached a third straight World Cup semi-final.

How the board moved

The quarter-final results reshaped the outright market:

1. England shortened sharply. From 5.60–6.54 before the tie to 4.10–5.90 after it — on FanDuel, England’s +310 now makes them the book’s second favourite, though ESPN keeps them fourth at 5.90.
2. Argentina steady. A marginal move from 5.20–5.40 to 5.00–5.20 — the narrow, 10-man win did not convince the market.
3. Spain drifted. From 4.00 to 4.30–5.10 as England and Argentina firmed around them.
4. France flat. Unmoved as the clear favourite at 2.35–2.50.
5. Golden Boot: Bellingham’s brace lifted him to 6 goals and into the outside contention band (around 14.00); Mbappé and Messi remain tied on 8 at the top (Mbappé favourite on the assists tiebreak).

The Canadian angle — the host tormentor is gone

For Canadian followers there is a small, specific footnote to the quarter-finals: Morocco — the side that knocked hosts Canada out 3-0 in the Round of 16 — was eliminated by France in QF1. The team that ended the CanMNT run did not make the semis. With Canada and Morocco both out, Canadian viewers head into the last four as neutrals, with all four heavyweights live on TSN and Sportsnet at accessible afternoon windows.

Your next steps

Where to read next

• England vs Argentina semi-final preview — a rivalry renewed
• France vs Spain semi-final preview — the final before the final
• World Cup 2026 semi-final betting preview — both ties
• Outright winner odds — the final four re-priced
• Pillar: Bracket Predictions
• Utility: Match Schedule

Canadian-facing books such as Boomerang Bet, Blitz.bet and LamaBet carry outright and semi-final markets in decimal and C$. Stake only what you set aside, and shop the line first.

Odds are decimal and were accurate as of July 13, 2026 (AM ET); ranges shown where Canadian and U.S. sportsbooks differ. Lines move; confirm at your sportsbook before betting. 19+ (18+ in AB/QC/MB). Bet responsibly — ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600.