England eye another level as they prepare for World Cup semi-final

By Rohan Gupta — 13 July 2026 — 3 min read

England’s World Cup Journey Continues

England captain Harry Kane believes the team possesses an untapped potential, stating they “have another level we can reach” in their pursuit of a World Cup title. The team advanced to the semi-finals after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway on Saturday. Their next challenge is a semi-final match against Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Following the quarter-final, coach Thomas Tuchel expressed dissatisfaction with England‘s performance, describing it as “sloppy” and noting “a lot of technical mistakes.” He also commented that the team was “not fast enough, not repetitive enough” and “got lucky.”

Kane, who has scored six goals in the tournament and is the joint top goalscorer for England alongside Jude Bellingham, attributed Tuchel‘s frustration to the team not replicating their training form. He acknowledged that while they have shown glimpses of their capability, they haven’t achieved the full control they desire.

Despite the criticisms, Kane highlighted the positive aspect of reaching a semi-final while still feeling there is room for improvement. He emphasized that the team is showing many good things and that reaching this stage of the World Cup is a significant achievement for the national team.

Controversy Surrounds Norway Match

The match against Norway was not without controversy, particularly concerning Jude Bellingham‘s equalizing goal. Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken stated that the ball appeared to strike an overhead camera cable before Bellingham scored. The incident occurred late in the first half of the quarter-final defeat.

Norway‘s goalkeeper, Ørjan Nyland, and Solbakken appealed to the referee, believing play should have been stopped. However, their protests were dismissed, and the goal stood. Television replays reportedly showed contact between the ball and the cable, but FIFA maintained there was “no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.”

Solbakken explained that the referee was unaware of any contact and did not receive any message indicating it had occurred. Under the Laws of the Game, if officials determine the ball has touched an outside object like an overhead cable, play should be stopped and restarted with a dropped ball. Since no contact was detected by the officials, play continued, leading to England‘s goal.

Despite his disappointment, Solbakken chose not to dwell on the incident, instead commending his players for their efforts throughout the tournament. He described the situation as “bizarre” but accepted it as part of football. He also noted that the unexpected trajectory of the ball after the alleged contact created confusion among his players at a critical moment.

Bellingham, who scored twice in England‘s past two matches, offered a different perspective on Tuchel‘s comments, acknowledging the difficulty of playing in such conditions against strong opposition. He praised his teammates for their effort during the tough match.

England, who were World Cup champions in 1966, have reached the semi-finals for the fourth time. They previously lost at this stage to West Germany in 1990 and to Croatia in 2018. The team has also experienced defeats in recent European Championship finals, against Italy in 2021 and Spain two years ago. Kane described this as an “extremely successful era” for the national team, emphasizing their desire to “get over the line” and secure the missing piece of silverware.

The Bayern Munich striker highlighted the team’s consistent presence in semi-finals and finals, indicating that they are “knocking on the door.” He stressed the importance of an even greater push in the coming days, noting the team’s six weeks together and their displayed desire for the badge. England will face Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Source: bbc.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter