England booked a World Cup semifinal spot Saturday after beating Norway 2-1 in extra time, with either Lionel Messi’s Argentina or a scrappy Switzerland side waiting in Atlanta.
That date comes loaded with tension, since one of those two potential opponents has never beaten England’s next rival while the other just ended a 72-year quarterfinal drought.
The win sends Thomas Tuchel’s side to a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, July 15, at 3 p.m. ET at Atlanta Stadium, with the winner of Saturday’s Argentina-Switzerland quarterfinal standing between England and a place in the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. England has not reached a World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966, and Saturday’s win already matches the run to the semifinal Gareth Southgate’s team produced in 2018.
The other half of the bracket is already set. France eliminated Morocco 2-0, and Les Bleus face Spain Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas in the other semifinal berth.
Argentina and Switzerland kick off that quarterfinal at 9 p.m. ET Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Messi’s defending champions are favored, though they have twice needed second-half comebacks just to survive the knockout rounds so far.
Lionel Messi Looms as England’s Toughest Test
Argentina trailed Cape Verde before winning in extra time, then fell behind Egypt 2-0 with 23 minutes left in the round of 16 before Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez scored three goals in 13 second-half minutes to complete a 3-2 escape, according to Goal.com. Messi leads the tournament with eight goals, the same total Kylian Mbappe has racked up for France.
Should Argentina advance, the matchup would pit Messi against an England defense already tested by Norway’s Erling Haaland, the tournament’s third-leading scorer. Tuchel’s back line has rotated through a different starting four in six straight matches, with Jarell Quansah suspended. A healthy Messi against that same unsettled group is not a comfortable proposition.
Switzerland’s Underdog Path to Atlanta
Switzerland has not trailed at any point in the tournament, a distinction it carries into a quarterfinal against Argentina that Murat Yakin’s side reached by beating Algeria and then outlasting Colombia on penalties, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel making the decisive save, according to RotoWire. It is the Swiss program’s first quarterfinal since 1954, and a win over Argentina would certainly be the biggest result in the nation’s soccer history.
Switzerland has also never beaten Argentina in seven all-time meetings, a gap that widens against sides with Argentina’s attacking pedigree. Breel Embolo carries the Swiss attack with two goals, while Johan Manzambi, one of the breakout stars of the tournament, is questionable with a knee issue. A Switzerland win would hand England a far different puzzle than Messi’s attack presents, with a defense built to frustrate, not overwhelm.
Whichever side survives Kansas City, England will have five days to prepare for a semifinal that could produce a rematch with the reigning champions or a first-ever meeting with a Swiss team playing with nothing left to lose.
England’s Next Game: World Cup Semifinal Opponent, Date and Time