England are into the final four of the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals after Jude Bellingham scored twice in a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway on Saturday. The result changed the shape of the bracket at once, with England now set to face Argentina and the field for the last stage of the tournament beginning to narrow.
That is why readers are searching what time is the world cup game today: the semifinals are here, the matchups are locked, and the clock now matters. The Athletic’s daily World Cup Predictions feature is tracking the games with writers, subscribers, Algo, Stanley and Wilfred all weighing in, and the live coverage note on France vs Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals only adds to the sense that the tournament has moved into its most watched stretch.
Bellingham’s two goals were the difference after Andreas Schjelderup had put Norway ahead. England’s path was not clean. Norway objected to the opener because a goal kick appeared to strike an overhead sky camera wire before dropping to Elliot Anderson in the buildup, and a Torbjorn Heggem goal was ruled out by VAR after a push on Anderson by Erling Haaland at a corner. England also had a penalty award overturned after Djed Spence went down in the area.
Argentina also advanced on Saturday, beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the fourth quarter-final. Lionel Messi was not on the scoresheet, while Breel Embolo was sent off after a VAR review for mistaken identity, with video showing he had dived after a tackle from Leandro Paredes. Those results leave England and Argentina as the central question in the final four, with the bracket now defined by two sides that survived extra time and a night full of video review.
For Calvin, who backs USMNT, Seattle Sounders and Everton, the appeal is immediate: the tournament has reached the point where every remaining match changes the picture. England got the result, but the debate around how it arrived there will linger. The only question left for many readers is not whether the next game matters. It is whether they are ready for the next one to start.
