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

By Arjun Sharma — 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 quest for a World Cup title, a feat not achieved since 1966. The Three Lions secured a 2-1 victory over Norway in extra time, setting up a semi-final clash against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Following the quarter-final match, coach Thomas Tuchel expressed dissatisfaction with England’s performance, citing that the team “got lucky,” was “sloppy,” committed “a lot of technical mistakes,” and lacked sufficient speed and repetition. Kane, who has scored six goals in the tournament and is England’s joint top goalscorer alongside Jude Bellingham, attributed Tuchel’s frustrations to the team not replicating their training form during the game.

Kane acknowledged that while playing against strong opposition, Tuchel aims to extract the best from the squad. He noted that the team recognises they can perform at a higher level, which has only been seen in glimpses so far, including during the match against Norway. Despite this, Kane highlighted the positive aspect of reaching a semi-final while still feeling there is room for improvement, especially when facing one of the world’s top teams.

Controversy Surrounds Bellingham’s Equaliser

The match against Norway was not without controversy, particularly concerning Jude Bellingham’s equaliser. Norway’s head coach, Ståle Solbakken, asserted that the ball struck an overhead camera cable before the goal, an incident he described as “pretty clear.” The event occurred late in the first half of Norway’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat when goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland‘s goal kick reportedly hit a suspended camera wire.

England subsequently regained possession, and Bellingham completed the move to level the score. Both Nyland and Solbakken immediately appealed to the referee, believing play should have been stopped. However, their protests were dismissed, and the goal stood. Television replays appeared to show 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 communication about it. He noted that the ball fell directly in front of their bench, suggesting contact 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 the officials did not detect contact, play continued, leading to England’s goal.

Despite his disappointment, Solbakken chose not to dwell on the incident, instead praising his players for their efforts throughout the tournament. He described the situation as “bizarre” but acknowledged it as part of football. The Norway coach also felt the unexpected trajectory of the ball after the alleged contact caused confusion among his players at a critical moment. England ultimately secured the 2-1 victory after extra time, with Bellingham scoring both goals to advance the Three Lions to the semi-finals.

Looking Ahead to the Semi-Finals

While Kane agreed with Tuchel’s assessment, Bellingham offered a different perspective, highlighting the difficulty of playing against strong opponents like Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa, and Alexander Sørloth under challenging conditions. He praised his teammates for their hard work during the match.

England, who were World Cup champions in 1966, have reached the semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history. Previous semi-final exits include losses to West Germany in 1990 and Croatia in 2018. The team has also experienced defeats in recent European Championship finals, losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and to Spain two years ago.

Kane described the current period as an “extremely successful era” for the national team, emphasising the desire to “get over the line” and secure the missing piece of silverware. He noted the team’s consistent presence in semi-finals and finals, calling the upcoming week a significant one. The Bayern Munich striker underlined the team’s dedication and the need for an even greater push in the final stages of the tournament. The semi-final match against Argentina is scheduled for Wednesday at 20:00 BST.

Source: bbc.com

Arjun Sharma

Sports Reporter