World Cup 2026 — July 11 recap: England and Argentina book the last four
Available in USSaturday delivered a proper double-header, and by the end of it the semi-final bracket was locked in. England beat Norway 2–1 after extra time at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on a Jude Bellingham brace, and hours later in Kansas City Argentina edged 10-man Switzerland 3–1, also after extra time. That completes the final four — France, Spain, England and Argentina — the tournament’s four highest-ranked sides, reported by FOX and Yahoo as the first time all top-four FIFA-ranked teams have reached a World Cup semi-final. Sunday was a rest day. Here is how Saturday unfolded, what it did to the outright market, and the Canadian viewing plan for the two semis this week.
QF3: England 2–1 Norway (after extra time)
Norway went ahead through Andreas Schjelderup on 36′, and for a long stretch the biggest game in Norwegian football history looked like it might get bigger. Then Bellingham struck twice. He levelled in first-half stoppage time (45+2′) to make it 1–1 at the break, and three minutes into extra time (93′) he pounced on a ricochet off the Norway keeper to win it. England reach their first World Cup final-four since 2018 and set up a first meeting with Argentina at a World Cup since 2002.
There was a real jeopardy about it. Norway, built around Erling Haaland’s tournament, went toe-to-toe and would have fancied their chances had the game gone to penalties. Instead Bellingham — who had entered the quarter-final one booking from a semi-final ban, and avoided it — dragged England through. Haaland, on seven goals, is eliminated with his total frozen.
QF4: Argentina 3–1 Switzerland (after extra time)
Argentina led early through Alexis Mac Allister on 10′, but Dan Ndoye equalised on 67′ and Switzerland looked capable of springing the upset. The night turned on a red card: Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute, a second yellow for simulation after a VAR review, moments after the equaliser. Argentina broke the 10-man Swiss in extra time — Julián Álvarez 112′ and Lautaro Martínez 120+1′ deep in stoppage time — to reach a third straight World Cup semi-final.
Switzerland exit furious about the dismissal, but Argentina did what the elite sides do against a tiring, short-handed opponent. Lionel Messi played the full 120 minutes despite an eye knock from a clash with Granit Xhaka, and he will face England for the first time in his career on Wednesday.
Outright winner odds — England steamed, France still clear favourite
The results reshaped the market. England shortened sharply on reaching the semi — from around 5.60–6.54 before the quarter-finals to as low as 4.10 at FanDuel afterwards (5.90 at ESPN). Argentina held steady around 5.00–5.20, Spain drifted to 4.30–5.10, and France remain the clear outright favourite at 2.35–2.50. Only the four live sides feature now.
| Market | Selection | Odds (decimal) | Aggregator | As of (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright winner | France | 2.35–2.50 | ESPN 2.35 / FanDuel 2.40 / FOX 2.50 | 12–13 Jul AM |
| Outright winner | Spain | 4.30–5.10 | FanDuel 4.30 / ESPN 5.10 | 12–13 Jul AM |
| Outright winner | England | 4.10–5.90 | FanDuel 4.10 / ESPN 5.90 | 12–13 Jul AM |
| Outright winner | Argentina | 5.00–5.20 | FanDuel 5.00 / ESPN 5.20 | 12–13 Jul AM |
Worth noting: the second-favourite spot is genuinely split between books. ESPN ranks Spain (5.10) ahead of Argentina (5.20) and England (5.90); FanDuel flips it, making England (4.10) its second favourite ahead of Spain (4.30) and Argentina (5.00). Both prices are live and defensible — shop around before you commit.
Golden Boot — Bellingham climbs, Mbappé and Messi still level on top
Bellingham’s brace lifted him to 6 tournament goals and into the outside contention band (around 14.00 at Goal.com). At the top nothing changed on Saturday: Mbappé and Messi are tied on 8 goals each, with Mbappé the favourite on the assists tiebreak. Kane sits on 6. Haaland’s 7 are frozen now that Norway are out. All four remaining contenders — Mbappé, Messi, Kane, Bellingham — are on sides still alive.
The Canadian angle: the semi-final viewing plan
For CanMNT supporters this is a neutral run — Canada were eliminated by Morocco in the Round of 16 on 4 July — but the two semis land in friendly windows. Bell Media holds the exclusive Canadian rights: TSN carries the full slate in English and RDS in French, while marquee ties like these semis also air free-to-air on CTV (and Noovo in French), so no subscription is needed.
| Match | Date (ET) | Kickoff (ET) | Kickoff (PT) | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF1 France vs Spain | Tue 14 Jul | 15:00 | 12:00 | CTV / TSN / RDS |
| SF2 England vs Argentina | Wed 15 Jul | 15:00 | 12:00 | CTV / TSN / RDS |
A 3 p.m. ET kickoff is a mid-afternoon watch in Toronto, Montréal and Halifax and a noon start in Vancouver and Calgary — an easy lunch-hour tune-in on the West Coast. The Final is set for Sunday 19 July, 3 p.m. ET, at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.
- England 2–1 Norway (aet) — Bellingham 45+2′ and 93′; England reach their first World Cup semi since 2018.
- Argentina 3–1 Switzerland (aet) — Mac Allister 10′, then Álvarez 112′ and Lautaro 120+1′ against 10 men after Embolo’s red; a third straight WC semi for Argentina.
- Semis set: France–Spain (Tue 14 Jul, Dallas) and England–Argentina (Wed 15 Jul, Atlanta) — the first WC semi with all top-four ranked nations.
- Market: France still clear favourite 2.35–2.50; England steamed to 4.10–5.90; Spain 4.30–5.10; Argentina 5.00–5.20; second-favourite order split between books.
- Canadian viewing: both semis CTV free-to-air, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT — easy coast-to-coast windows.
For the full picture see our groups, schedule and bracket hub, the shifting outright market on the odds & predictions page, and the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot picks.
Odds for information only and correct at time of writing — please bet responsibly. In Ontario, betting is regulated by AGCO / iGaming Ontario; ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600. 19+ (18+ in Alberta and Manitoba).
