Thank you very much for joining us on this glorious Sunday. There will be plenty more of this tomorrow.

Ryan emails: “Whilst not a fan of FIFAs blatant attempts to change the World Cup solely to make more money, I’m actually not against the idea of going to 64 teams.

“The quality difference between no. 48 and no. 64 in the world rankings is not that large on paper, so I don’t see that it would significantly dilute the quality of the tournament. It also presents an advantage that we can move back to a system where only the top 2 teams go through from each group, which creates greater jeopardy and hopefully more exciting matches in the group stages.”

It should be pointed out, which has been ignored by many, there were a lot of dreadful group games because teams stuck 10/11 men behind the ball. It would result in more of that.

PK suggests: “I agree that a 64-team World Cup would have the top teams spread out so thin across the (presumably 16) groups that the group stages would become almost unwatchable. However, I think a bigger problem is that outside of the countries that regularly qualify for the World Cup, other teams often don’t get to play meaningful competitive games outside of their own confederation, and this leads to monotony. I’d recommend a second-tier World Cup - maybe we could call it the FIFA Nations Cup - which would presumably generate more interest than the pointless Club World Cup that Fifa has added to their calendar. I do think the current qualification process is unnecessarily laborious and could use improvement, at the cost of letting some of the established powers qualify automatically.”

This is far to logically for anyone at Fifa to suggest it.

David Wall says: “On the subject of Kobbie Mainoo, he showed in the first half of the season that he’s not the kind of character to kick up a fuss if he’s left out of the team (though his siblings might). I expect that was one of the things Tuchel considered when he selected him. I wonder if the manager was just trying to be a little too clever yesterday, moving the midfield around like in one of those tessellation games, rather than just bringing on the guy who is really good at keeping possession.”

Gunter De Paepr says: “It will diminish even more the importance of qualifiers. Even the likes of Italy would never again miss out.

“And for those who think that Cape Verde’s run vindicates Infantino’s expansion: it doesn’t. They won their Africa qualifier group and would have qualified under the previous format just as well.”

A 64-team World Cup would be completely unwatchable. It would include so many bad teams and people would, rightly, switch off. This is supposed to be the best of the best. Fifa need to think more carefully about their plans, in my opinion.

What you’ve been waiting for all day is the latest Power Rankings, written by our smartest and most attractive writer. Do you agree with the listings?

Nine of Bellingham’s 12 international goals have been scored at major tournaments, with seven at World Cups and a pair at Euro 2024. None of the 44 other men with at least 12 goals for England are remotely close to Bellingham for the proportion of their strikes that occurred in major tournaments.

France are not afraid of Spain going into their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, defender ⁠Ibrahima Konate said on Sunday, but they are conscious of their opponents’ quality and their near-perfect backline.

Spain have conceded only one goal in the ⁠entire tournament to reach ⁠the last ​four in search of a second World Cup title. France, winners in 2018 and finalists four years ago, know Spain very well, having lost ⁠to them in the Euro 2024 last four and also in last year’s Nations League semi-finals.

“You cannot fear anyone,” France centre-back Konate told a press conference. “We ⁠will now prepare as best as possible and hope the result in the end will favour ​us.”

“Spain are an exceptional team, with a lot ‌of individual quality, so ‌we won’t be focusing on just one player even though Lamine (Yamal) is a great player,” said ‌Konate, who had a brief substitute appearance in the win over Norway in their final group match.

Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba have been France’s starting centre-backs, as the tournament favourites eye their fifth World Cup final.

The French have reached four of the last seven World Cup finals. Should they take part in the July 19 showdown in New York, they will sustain ‌the comparison with West Germany, arguably the ultimate tournament nation with four finals between 1974 and 1990.

But Konate said the French were not wasting any thoughts ​on what might be. “We are staying humble, we won’t fall into that trap,” he said.

They will need to find a way to break down this World Cup’s most effective backline, as well as contain as much as possible Lamine’s runs down the wings.

“I would not say ’fear’ but we are conscious of ⁠their quality,” said fellow France centre-back Maxence Lacroix. “They have won all their ​matches (except a 0-0 draw against ​Cape Verde in the group), so ​we respect them. They have high quality players but we want to win.” Reuters

Darren Hilton emails: “For all Infantino’s talk about improving the standard of world football by increasing the number of participating countries and giving lower ranked teams the chance to dream, is this the first World Cup where the semi-finalists FIFA World Rankings basically look like Wimbledon seedings?”

Spain’s conservative ex-prime minister Mariano Rajoy faced criticism at home and in France Sunday after saying the neighbouring country’s national football team had “no French players”.

The comment, published in an opinion piece in Spanish online news site El Debate, came as Spain prepares to face France Tuesday in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final.

Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the remark as “xenophobic”.

“There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour. Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it,” the Socialist leader wrote on X. “Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”

French politicians have also lashed out at Rajoy’s comment. France “has no skin colour or religion”, said French Socialist party leader Olivier Faure on X.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told French channel BFMTV that Rajoy’s comment was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Communist party leader Fabien Roussel compared Rajoy’s comment to widely criticised remarks by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla, who said after Paraguay’s elimination by France in the round of 16 that star player Kylian Mbappe was a “colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French”.

“They just can’t stop themselves from slinging this disgusting racism,” said Roussel.

Naima Moutchou, France’s minister for overseas territories, called the comments evidence of “systematic and widespread hatred of France and what the nation is”. “Every time Les Bleus win, the same racist obsessions and insults re-emerge,” she said. AFP

Reviewing the match ratings of Kylian Mbappe, he has eight every game. What does he need to get a nine?

Keir Starmer is expected to use his final week in office to push the Hillsborough law through its remaining stages in the Commons after months of delays.

This bill aims to strengthen support for families seeking justice after major disasters and create new offences for officials who deliberately mislead the public or seek to block accountability.

The prime minister made the legislation one of Labour’s defining manifesto commitments before entering government. Speaking at the party’s conference in Liverpool in 2024, he promised to introduce legislation before the next anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster – 15 April – saying families should never again have to fight the state to uncover the truth.

What is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall up to? Let me tell you … he’s at Wimbledon.

We should not forget about transfers amid all this World Cup nonsense.

The secret tactical plan of how to get through the final two hours of the blog are almost too difficult to comprehend, so I will probably just go route one.

Right, it’s been fun, but it’s time for me to hand back to Other Will, that is, Will Unwin, who has just been given detailed tactical instructions on the live blog sidelines and is ready to man mark you all until the final whistle. Til next time.

Well, that’s likely to cause a ruckus. While the 48-team format has been competitive enough, with a few notable exceptions, there has to be an elastic limit to this thing, and 64 teams could well go beyond it.

Belgium’s players have arrived back at Brussels airport after their elimination at the hands of Spain. Thibaut Courtois looks to be putting on a brave face despite the injury which curtailed his, and ultimately the team’s, tournament.

On reflection, it wasn’t a bad showing from the Belgians given expectations were relatively low and, having fought back against Senegal and then blown away the USA amid all the Folarin Balogun controversy, they lost to an excellent side by the narrowest of margins. Even so, with the much-vaunted “golden generation” set to bow out, their World Cup will be tinged with melancholy.

For all the rumination over the manner of England’s victory, the mood back home is pretty buoyant all told. A good vibes message is being beamed from the BT Tower in London as we speak. There are people in England kits left, right and centre. There’s a cheerful, hungover glow to the place. Who knows if it will last but, while it does, may as well enjoy it.

I’ll get your coat.

SidKirkwood

12 July 2026 3:12pm

England certainly went to the wire with that victory.....

Pros: aerial prowess, excellent at interceptions and initiating attacks from the middle third. Cons: inanimate, could cause friction in the team, not actually allowed.

nickycopeland

12 July 2026 3:04pm

Do you think Tuchel still has time to field three cable cameras as midfield against Argentina?

It’s “vi ble ranet”, according to one popular translation app. You’re welcome.

Attilla

12 July 2026 2:56pm

What is ‘We was robbed’ in Norwegian?

For any pessimists out there, here’s a rallying cry. It’s worth remembering, for context, this is only the fourth time England have reached the semi-final stage of a World Cup.

GBNewsISComedyGold

12 July 2026 2:40pm

I may be Welsh, but I’m supporting England. I find some of the criticism and moaning about England’s performance last night a little baffling. Was it a complete performance? Nope. Some of the same problems exist, particularly in defence. But let’s put the last two games into perspective. A superb win in Mexico City at high altitude in the Azteca Stadium - a fortress for the Mexican team. A win against Norway last night, in difficult conditions of high humidity, and against a very good team. Now, for those of you that remember the so-called golden generation, cast your mind back to their performances in major tournaments. Pretty dreadful. There is no way that they could have achieved what this England team has achieved during this WC. The 2026 team have scrapped and fought for these results, in spite of apparent weaknesses in the team in certain positions. Win or lose against Argentina - I think they will win, England fans should be proud of their team’s performances.

John Brewin’s take on the polite difference of opinion between Tuchel and Bellingham has landed. A big fuss over nothing? I’ll let him decide.

Another excellent debate-starter here. What’s your all-time England XI?

Inspissatedman

12 July 2026 1:57pm

Just comparing the boys of 66 with those of 26

Banks or Pickford? Gordon the better keeper, but a no 1's job so much more complex now.

Full backs? Cohen and Wilson...fine for what they did, but limited.

Jackie and Bobby? A must.

Nobby? Would be sent off inside 20 mins

Bobby and Bally - yes for the creativity and industry

Martin Peters...too ephemeral

Hurst and Hunt vs Jude and Harry...Hurst and Jude just shade it, but what a sub to have in Harry. Better even than Greavsie . If we're playing subs, that is.

This makes the team

Banks/ O'Reilly Charlton (J) Moore Konsa/ Rice Anderson Ball Charlton (R) / Bellingham Hurst.

Think they'd win most games.

Who do we fancy then, England or Argentina? Some interesting points here. It definitely feels like the more anarchic side of the draw, with two highly fallible defences, a strong reliance on individual genius – most notably in Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham – and a mutual penchant for late comebacks and extra-time drama.

By contrast, Spain look ultra-disciplined if a little mechanical at times, while France seem terrifyingly singleminded in their determination to win the thing. There’s a very different vibe to the two semi-finals but, regardless, they could both make for unreal entertainment.

AlanPivotain

12 July 2026 2:01pm

This is going to be a cracking game from a neutral's point of view.

Both England and Argentina have plenty of individual quality. Both like to dominate possession, but neither has the physicality or the midfield discipline to sustain the kind of pressure Switzerland managed last night — or Norway did for long spells.

Both have slightly shaky back fours, and both are lethal if the ball falls to the right player. I think England have the edge in terms of fitness, but Argentina have the stronger winning mentality, which may well balance things out.

Really looking forward to it!

Hello again! God, it’s hot out there now, which is just perfect for all the England fans sweating out last night’s festivities. I’m compelled to bring you some non-World Cup news to start, namely that Brendon McCullum has been sacked as Test coach of the other, crickety, England. You can read all about it here. Then please come back. Please.

Will Magee’s fingers are rested and raring to go for a HUGE two hours. This could be the period that defines the tournament.

Among the current England squad, Trevoh Chalobah’s brother Nathaniel is a well-known professional. Jarell Quansah’s sibling Keenan has recently joined Slough.

Harry Maguire’s brother Laurence moved to Rochdale in the week.

I appreciate Jobe is too good for this but I once had a marketing idea for a lower league team to try and create a squad comprised of lesser-known brothers of famous footballers.

It came after covering Macclesfield v Northampton when Lewis Young, young brother of Ashley, was playing. His sibling was at Manchester United at the time and came along to watch. More people were interested in getting his autograph than watching the rather turgid affair.

If a League Two club are interested in my idea, let me know. Who could we get to play?

Jobe Bellingham is in a good mood on his return to Borussia Dortmund training. I wonder why …

Dom emails: “If this England “victory” isn’t forever referred to as “The Wire of God” game then we have missed badly.”

A step-by-step guide to Cablegate.

I am not saying it is a quiet day, but …

Norwegian Air has honoured its social ⁠media wager with British Airways and changed its ⁠Instagram profile ⁠picture ​to BA’s logo for a day after England’s ⁠2-1 victory over Norway in their World Cup quarter-final ⁠on Saturday.

Ahead of the match, the ​two carriers ‌made a ‌light-hearted bet: The one representing ‌the losing country would swap its Instagram profile picture to that of the winner for 24 hours.

“While the tournament is over ‌for us, this friendly bet will forever live in ​all our hearts,” Norwegian wrote under the unfamiliar logo, adding a congratulatory message. “We wish England and ⁠British Airways all the best ​in ​the semi-final, and ​we sincerely hope you’ll get ​to ‌bring football ​home!” Reuters

I reckon England may need to keep an eye on this chap on Wednesday …

Chris Mercer has got in touch: “I wonder how many goals have been scored against England while an England player has been on the floor pleading for a free kick that the referee has already denied?

“This stupidity reduces the team to 10 men and distracts the defence from doing their job properly.

“The player must always get up and help his team. Let the VAR pick it up if there really was a grievous foul!”

Jordan Pickford reflected on the “great honour” of breaking England’s record for World Cup goalkeeping appearances but is focusing on ending the tournament in glory.

The Everton stopper played his 18th match at the global tournament, going past Peter Shilton in the list, and helped his country to a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in the quarter-final.

It was not easy against a side who caused problems throughout and went ahead with a Andreas Schjelderup cross-shot which Pickford should have saved.

The keeper said: “First and foremost it is more about the team like I always talk about. To get to another semi-final, we are at that stage where we need to keep going. We have had a great game tonight, against a tough opponent, a test, and we have come through it. It is a great honour to be in another semi-final.

“The record is a great honour for myself and my family, but we are here for a team game. I will reflect on that in years to come. At this moment in time, everyone who knows me, knows it is about getting the job done and focusing on the next game.”

Stephen emails: “Regarding Norway’s disallowed goal, wasn’t the goal scorer offside anyway? Even if the shove had been considered soft it might have been disallowed regardless.”

No, he was onside.

Stephen adds: “As for England, my thoughts watching it were that Tuchel almost blew it at halftime by putting Bellingham in midfield. It’s not that he can’t play there, he obviously can, it’s that when he plays in the 10, he’s more robust in tracking back than Eze is so with Bellingham in midfield and Eze in the 10, the midfield opened right up and played right into Norway’s hands.

“What really baffles me though and has done throughout the tournament is Tuchel’s refusal to play Mainoo. I have to wonder how he’s feeling when Tuchel would rather play a right back in central midfield than pick him. Tuchel said during the week that Mainoo wasn’t playing because of experience, as if Mainoo hasn’t already played in massive games, including the final of a major international tournament. At this point I’m beginning to think that Tuchel isn’t picking him out of spite. Maybe he’s bitter about not getting the United job? I don’t know.”

I think Mainoo was the more obvious choice at the break. The most important thing is to have Bellingham high up the pitch and moving him back helps no one.

The Belgium squad have landed back in Brussels after being knocked out by Spain. They were given a water salute by the firefighters at the airport.

It was another fine cameo from Big Dan Burn. He came on and gave it everything, winning every header as England held on for the win. He seems the perfect fit for that sort of gig.

David Wall says: “I’m baffled by the Norwegian’s complaints about their disallowed goal. Haaland very clearly pushes Anderson over onto his back. The fact that the ball wasn’t in play is irrelevant unless we think it’s okay to go round nobbling the opposition while waiting for a corner to be taken. The rules have been altered recently explicitly to take account of that kind of situation (which is why they still got to re-take the corner rather than it being a free-kick to England).

“On the other hand, if the ball really did hit the camera cable before Bellingham’s opener then they’ve got a legitimate complaint about that. But as we know with Fifa, up is down, 2+2=5, etc, etc. I’m sure if we look back at photos in a couple of days all of the cables will have been photo-shopped out.”

Ben Heywood gets in touch: “Good morning! Well, that was quite a night/morning of football, wasn’t it? Now we have to have three days of jingoistic Las Malvinas, THAT goal, Hand of God, Michael Owen’s goal in 98, Michael Owen’s dive in 98, Michael Owen’s dive in 02, Bellingham > Messi etc etc…

“I recently rewatched the famous 1986 encounter with a very good Argentinian friend and despite watching it live back in t’day, I couldn’t help but re-appraise Maradona’s infamous act of chicanery in the light of a dispassionate 40 year interval. By my count, England would have been down to 9 men after half an hour if the game were played today, such was the battering they were giving a remarkably sanguine Maradona, and they would have been down to 8 if - as would have been justified - Terry Fenwick had been sent off twice. Rather puts the “cheating” into perspective.

“Anyway, my two cents on the VAR is that whilst I still don’t like it, it got all the big calls right last night. Kane was not clipped, Anderson was shoved over, Spence was looking for it and Embolo was rightfully booked for a bit of theatrics that would have had Neymar applauding. Better to ask why Sorloth declined a simple pass to give the world’s deadliest finisher a 1-on-1, or why Egypt couldn’t close out a game they were 2-0 up in with 11 minutes to go. The best way to avoid an injustice is to put the result beyond doubt yourselves. What fun it has been!”

James Campbell says: “He’s every right to step across Bobb: Spence is marginally in front of Bobb, has the ball and, IMHO, intends to go for glory. The step would have given him some more angle and so more target for the shot. Of course he shuts the door on Bobb: what should we expect?”

I concur.

The two penalty decisions that have gone against England, if you will, in the knockout stages have been bizarre. Harry Kane getting taken out by the DR Congo goalkeeper was an odd decision, while Djed Spence not getting a spot-kick on Saturday was another interpretation of the game from people who clearly have little idea about football. It’s all a bit rubbish.

Jon emails in to say: “I despise VAR with a passion and would love to see it burned down, but specifically regarding the use of it in this tournament – there is absolutely no point in having a directive to let the game flow and not penalise minor contact/borderline fouls if you’re then going to re-referee and penalise them via VAR if they lead to a goal. It’s essentially saying that we want the game to flow but only in inconsequential passages. Norway’s second goal last night was one example, Egypt’s disallowed second the other night a more egregious one.

“I find myself watching attacks thinking ooh there’s no point in them scoring here because there was a minor infraction there that’s going to be called back if they do.

“Also Fifa have lost all credibility and deserve all the conspiracy theories coming their way.”

My brother has gone into central Manchester this morning, and a lot of the people he is seeing are still out from watching England last night. You have to admire the commitment.

Haaland: “Jordan, why are you wearing full kit?”

Thomas Tuchel says there is “nowhere else in the whole wide world” he would rather be than leading England into a World Cup semi-final against reigning champions Argentina.

After finding a way to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo and co-hosts Mexico, Jude Bellingham’s brace proved enough to edge past Norway as Saturday’s tense quarter-final victory went to extra time.

England’s reward for the 2-1 victory in the heat and humidity of Miami is a clash with Argentina, who won 3-1 having also needed 120 minutes to overcome 10-man Switzerland in the late kick-off.

A blockbuster semi-final now awaits in Atlanta this Wednesday and boss Tuchel again has to quickly reset as his first international tournament heads into the key final days.

“It’s intense,” Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor said. “I’m enjoying it a lot. I feel very alive in these moments. “To lead a team out on the field and to be there, and preparation is done and then you go out and then the last two three minutes before a match I feel very alive.

“This is this is where I want to be. I don’t want to be anywhere else in the world in these minutes. And in this very moment, nowhere else in the whole wide world.

“I enjoy it a lot but having a knockout match every three, four days is, yeah, a new level of demand and a new level of emotional roller coaster. I admit that so I need also a bit of time now. We will give the players (Sunday) full recovery and starts at the latest in the afternoon our preparation for the match with the staff.” PA Media

This seems like a good time to put all England v Norway-related work in one place, as some in England are probably only just getting up.

Match report.

Barney Ronay on Jude Bellingham.

Jacob Steinberg on the defence.

Player ratings.

Photo gallery.

Bellingham disagreeing with Tuchel.

Norwegian anger.

World Cup Daily.

Nic Houghton gets in touch to say: “Having spent last night watching the England game atop a German mountain (amazed I could still stream it in HD, although had to pay for the privilege as not on free tv), I’m climbing down from on high and seem to have entered a rather odd new reality.

“That point on Bellingham being cocky, and needing to be benched seemed rather odd. Unless I missed something, the interview after the game was handled rather well, that “whatever” was probably less dismissive and far more angled toward the daft/divisive questions asked by ITV.

“On another point, I appreciate that Norway must be gutted to go out, they played well and probably should have scored more, but am I wrong in thinking VAR simply creates the same situation we had before it was introduced? I mean, we complained about bias, errors, and crooked referees before VAR. Is this not just the same but with more video and social media? I guess as an England fan, I would say that…

“Thanks for thread and have a lovely Sunday!”

I’ll leave Will Unwin to chew over VAR, refereeing and general controversy with you, as he’s taking over now. I’ll be back later on. Until then, you’re in safe hands.

After cautious praise during the group stage over the lack of VAR micromanagement and generally unfussy refereeing, it certainly feels like tech has come to dominate the conversation again during the knockouts. Theories as to why might range from the increased pressure on officials to football’s decision makers being terminally addicted to drama, even when it’s drama nobody wants.

My sense is that, when it comes to VAR, the vast majority of fans agree less is more, with a growing number leaning towards none at all. The trend for effectively re-refereeing small incidents is especially infuriating: the collective groan when a ref is called over to the monitor to watch, in slow motion, some minor contact is fast becoming the soundtrack to the game. Expect to hear it several times more before the end of the tournament.

Another email has winged its way into my inbox, with the ominous subject line “football is dead”. Ole Kristian Hartvigsen writes: “What a great invention VAR is for Fifa. They can now nudge every game into their favoured outcome. A disallowed goal here, a red card there and – hey presto – you have dramatic wins for the big boys teeing up a fantastic semi-final with England and Argentina. And the beauty of VAR is that you can always claim that it is technically correct. Because you can always find a way to chalk off a goal – technically – if you want to. Every single goal scored from a corner since the invention of football can technically be disallowed. And of course if you really want to, you can always find a situation leading up to a goal that technically gives you an opportunity to chalk it off (see Egypt’s goal against Argentina), or you can decide not to (see Argentina’s goal against Egypt).

“Elite football is a game of fine margins. Fifa now has the tool to make sure that those margins always go in the favour of their preferred outcome, which is what gives them the most commercial success. Never again will we see a Greece 2004, or indeed a potential Norway v Switzerland semi-final in a World Cup. Football has died.”

We’ve got an email! Krishna Moorthy writes: “Good morning Will. A bit groggy after the late night. A few remarks to fill the time between now and the next 60 hours (thankfully there is Wimbledon this evening).

“1. Norway paid for their profligacy. They should have wrapped up the match by half-time. 2. Embolo was stupid. Everything else is noise. My auto-correct changes Embolo to emboldened which is apt, actually. 3. Tuchel is being honest in his assessment and the cocky Bellingham reply is a preamble to what to expect in the semis. I won’t be surprised if Tuchel benches him. 4. With Brazil gone, I have no horses left in the race but would very much love the next best team, Spain, to win but I can’t see ANYONE beating the French. 5. The best coda to this GWC would be when Mbappé refuses to receive the trophy from Trump. Do that and I will be a lifelong France supporter.”

Any Argentinian readers still awake out there? Are the celebrations ongoing? Judging by the photos coming in, it’s been some night.

World Cup Daily has landed, with Max Rushden joined by Barry Glendenning, John Brewin, Lars Sivertsen and Leander Schaerlackens to discuss all of last night’s shenanigans. Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Switzerland continue to fume about the use of the “mistaken identity” rule to send off Breel Embolo for simulation last night, this after Leandro Paredes had initially been booked for fouling the forward. Murat Yakin, Switzerland’s head coach, has found himself in the strange position of having to argue that Paredes should never have been booked in the first place because, had he not been shown a yellow card, VAR could not have intervened to erase it and punish Embolo instead. “There was definitely no reason to award that yellow card [to Paredes], I don’t understand it,” Yakin said. “It was a harmless situation. I don’t understand why the decision was made and our player was sent off.

“This rule destroyed our game today. I think it is extremely hurtful. We are not going to go to the semi-finals but I think we deserved to be there. To be eliminated that way hurts a lot, but I can tell you we are very proud of our performance in this tournament.”

Pablo Iglesias Maurer was at Kansas City Stadium to watch Argentina triumph, and he has some thoughts, which you can read right here:

Morning (BST)! Was there a football match last night? You’d never know it from the sea of crumpled tinnies, suspect splashes on the pavement and occasional lost soul in an England shirt, dazed and bleary-eyed, still wandering the streets on my commute in.

Of course, there wasn’t just one match, but two, with Argentina beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to set up an epic semi-final against Thomas Tuchel’s brave boys. Let’s start with the reaction of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s head coach, who has been very keen to stress that it’s going to be a football match, as he aims for a rare double of a World Cup and a World Stating The Obvious award.

That’s enough from me for now. It’s over to Will Magee to keep you updated for the next little while.

There will be plenty of coverage of the 1986 quarter-final in the coming days. Take every opportunity you can to enjoy Bryon Butler’s commentary of Diego Maradona’s solo goal that sealed England’s fate in the Azteca.

I’m sure IFAB mean well, but if they could put things back to how they were around 1998 and then all get in the bin, that would be terrific, cheers.

England’s reward for downing Norway is… a semi-final date with Argentina. That’s right, England v Argentina in a World Cup knockout match in North America. What could possibly go wrong?

The defending champions have not been at their best in the knockout stages and they required the good fortune of a VAR intervention to send off Switzerland’s Breel Embolo and gift them the upper hand in the Kansas heat.

Fifa match officials’ novel use of the term “mistaken identity” reared its head again in sensational circumstances during Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland, leaving Swiss forward Breel Embolo in tears and the European side a man down for a total of 67 minutes against the defending champions.

“It’s completely not understandable,” Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin said afterward. “I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.”

Norway leave the World Cup with their heads held high. The last of the dark horses won over neutrals with their on-field demeanour and off-field Viking Row. It surely won’t be another 28 year wait between finals.

Unsurprisingly the heat and humidity of Miami took its toll on the Landslaget with even HyperbotGoalMachine3000 Erling Haaland needing to be substituted before the final whistle.

“To paraphrase Chico Marx to Mrs Teasdale in Duck Soup, who are you gonna believe? Me or your own eyes?”. Ronnie, I wish all my emails began like this.

“Given FIFA’s claim that the ball’s ‘heartbeat’ did not detect a deviation when the Norwegian keeper’s clearance had first hit the Spidercam’s wires, should Croatia be even more concerned about their late equaliser against Portugal being stamped out when we couldn’t see a deviation but the ‘heartbeat’ had picked up on a mere follicle? How can we trust FIFA technology?”

Indeed. Although I think the word technology at the end of that sentence might be redundant. Jonathan Wilson filed on this topic just hours ago.

Previously, the rant from the Egypt manager, Hossam Hassan, about the need to keep Messi in the tournament could have been dismissed as the bitter rambling of a disappointed man, but then you remember Fifa gerrymandered the qualifying process for the Club World Cup to ensure the presence of Inter Miami and Messi and that Fifa suspended two games of Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-game ban for his red card against Ireland in qualifying so he could play in every group-stage game (and then had to declare an amnesty for three other suspended players).

Fifa likes famous players to be involved. What if entertainment concerns, the grubby lust for growth, have come to supplant sporting concerns?

This is the fire with which Infantino is playing. Sport only means something when it is believable: football without faith is nothing. Marketing can never take priority over sporting concerns. When the perception of integrity has gone, the doubt lingers – as it did for Romanians around the turn of the millennium. And if the doubts linger too long, the sport is dead.

Sidebar, Whatever bears such a striking resemblance to Neil Innes’ I’m Free to be an Idiot that the former Monty Python collaborator received a songwriting credit and a share of the royalties in an out of court settlement.

Wonderwall might be the England team’s Oasis song of choice, but surely they change it up to this more apposite (and far better imo) number.

Gabriel Clarke was the reporter with the responsibility of getting postmatch quotes from Tuchel and Bellingham in the flash zone – and he did a remarkable job.

Tuchel became wide-eyed and animated liked Spud during his job interview in Trainspotting.

Bellingham, meanwhile, gave the impression he did not care much for any implied criticism from the German about the team’s performance.

… asked to respond to that criticism, Bellingham was clearly not impressed. “Yeah, well, whatever. Whatever,” he said, his body language also telling. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift. All the players have put in a tough shift, so my thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there and put in a great shift yet again.”

Pressed further in another post-match interview, Bellingham said: “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Ødegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sørloth. That’s not an easy team to play against. So, I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment. You’re not going to win every game, popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty, and we’ve done that again tonight.”

“At the risk of being the 1,000th to say it – it’s the Cable of God,” jokes George Peacock.

Get those gags in now folks because there will be enough “of God” references over the coming days to last a lifetime.

Norway were aggrieved that England’s opening goal was allowed to stand after the ball appeared to strike a cable attached to one of the overhead TV cameras, allowing Elliot Anderson to accept possession unopposed and feed assist-maker Anthony Gordon.

“I can sit here and cry but I don’t want to do that,” remarked Ståle Solbakken. “We have done everything we could – the players have been phenomenal throughout the tournament. OK it was bizarre but it’s part of football and why it is the best sport in the world because things like that can happen. We have to accept it.”

Fifa released a statement saying a sensor in the ball showed no evidence it had touched a cable.

Our own Ed Aarons rated Noni Madueke as England’s poorest performer. On US TV Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept the internet furnace stoked with a half-time rant that suggested England were effectively playing with 10 men.

Thomas Tuchel has clearly done extremely well to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup but the number of unused and underperforming members of his squad will make for interesting historical analysis.

There were some handy cameos elsewhere though with Djed Spence making an impact at left back, Morgan Rogers adding much needed energy, and Dan Burn reminding everyone that even in the modern passing and possession era it’s perfectly fine to stick on a big fella when you’re defending a lead and enjoy watching him head crosses away.

Barney touches on the bewildering omission of Kobbie Mainoo. The Manchester United midfielder has played no part in England’s campaign so far despite being a reasonable option off the bench in his team’s first five matches and the blindingly obvious one in their sixth.

Tuchel went to absurd lengths to avoid playing him against Norway, instead starting a desiccated Declan Rice, replacing him with Eberechi Eze in an advanced role that destabilised the entire structure, followed by a half-fit right fullback Reece James as he played whack-a-mole to problems of his own making.

Across those 120 minutes the central midfield duo went from Declan Rice and Anderson to Bellingham and Anderson, to Reece James and Anderson, to Morgan Rogers and Anderson. Not Kobbie Mainoo, notably, who is presumably behind David Beckham, a cone, a giant lizard and the TV camera cable in the running for a spot. Why is Mainoo here? Why is Adam Wharton not here? These are questions deserving of a genuine answer.

Barney Ronay was in Miami to witness the latest instalment of the Jude Bellingham force of will tour. Beneath the deserved adulation for England’s two-goal hero there is no shortage of concern for a team that has lost its spark and a coach that no longer seems to know his best XI.

At times this felt like the familiar England parade of we are the hollow men, stuffed men, waiting for the game to happen to them, football as a slow suffocation in that thick sweet air. But they also had Jude Bellingham, who seems increasingly to exist as an entirely different category of human in this team, out there playing a parallel tournament, one that has to this point swept the rest of them along in its wake.