The last two semifinalists of the 2026 World Cup will be determined. On the night of July 12, the final quarterfinal matches will take place: Norway will play England, and Argentina will face Switzerland. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The winners of these pairs will then play each other for a place in the final. In the other half of the bracket, France and Spain will compete for a spot in the final.
Norway vs England
The first match of the game day will start at 02:00 Astana time. Norway and England will take the field.
Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32, then knocked out Brazil. The round of 16 match was goalless for a long time, but in the end Erling Haaland punished the Brazilian defense twice. First, he finished a cross from Andreas Schjelderup from the left flank, and then after another pass from the same Schjelderup, he shot low into the far corner. Brazil only responded with a Neymar penalty in stoppage time – 1-2.
For Norway, this is already a historic tournament. Ståle Solbakken's team not only advanced far in the bracket but also showed they can withstand pressure against higher-profile opponents. The team's main figure is obvious – Haaland. He has scored seven goals in the tournament and remains one of the main contenders for the Golden Boot.
However, the match against England is not just about Haaland. Norway's attack heavily depends on how the team delivers the ball into the box. Against Brazil, the left flank was decisive, where Schjelderup made two assists. In addition, Solbakken can use Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sørloth, and Oscar Bobb – it is the width of the attack that gives Norway options when the opponent tries to mark Haaland individually.
England also went through two difficult rounds. First, Thomas Tuchel's team trailed DR Congo but turned the match around thanks to a Harry Kane brace. In the round of 16, the English experienced an even more nerve-wracking game against Mexico: Jude Bellingham scored a brace, Kane scored a penalty, and after Jarrell Quansah's red card, the team held on for a 3-2 win.
A separate intrigue is the confrontation between Kane and Haaland. The Norwegian has seven goals, Kane is one goal behind, while Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé lead the scoring race with eight goals each. But for England, Kane is important not only as a finisher. He drops deeper, links play, and helps Bellingham and the wingers get space between the lines.
England must prevent Norway from regularly crossing from the flanks and finding Haaland in the box. Norway, in turn, needs to limit the influence of Bellingham and Kane in the central zone. If the English can control the tempo and quickly regain possession after losses, they will have an advantage. If the match becomes more open, Norway will have a chance to again use the speed of the flanks and Haaland's power.
Argentina vs Switzerland
The second quarterfinal will start at 06:00 Astana time. Argentina will play Switzerland – a team that rarely looks flashy but almost always remains uncomfortable for any opponent.
Argentina reached the quarterfinals through two dramatic matches. In the round of 32, Lionel Scaloni's team only broke down Cape Verde's resistance in extra time – 3-2. Then came an even tougher match against Egypt: by the 67th minute, the Argentines were trailing 0-2, but scored three times in the end. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit, Messi equalized, and Enzo Fernández brought victory in stoppage time.
Messi is 39 years old, but he continues to define the team's play. At this World Cup, Messi has already scored eight goals and is level with Mbappé in the scoring race. Scaloni said after the Egypt match that the captain remains a "machine" when he senses an opportunity to create danger.
But Argentina also has a worrying sign. In the playoffs, the team was twice forced to save themselves in the closing stages. Against Switzerland, such instability could become a problem: Murat Yakin's charges do not open up unnecessarily, hold their structure well, and know how to drag the match into an uncomfortable scenario for the favorite.
Switzerland started the playoffs with a 2-0 win over Algeria. Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye scored in that game. In the round of 16, the Swiss played a 0-0 draw with Colombia and advanced on penalties – 4-3. Ruben Vargas converted the winning spot-kick.
Switzerland's main loss before the quarterfinal is Johan Manzambi. He has not recovered from a knee injury and will miss the match against Argentina. This is a serious blow for the team: Manzambi is the Swiss's most productive player in the tournament, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
Without him, even more responsibility will fall on Granit Xhaka, Fabian Rieder, Ndoye, Embolo, and Vargas. Xhaka emphasized before the match that Switzerland should not think only about Messi. The logic is clear: if the team focuses too much on one player, Argentina can use free spaces through Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, and the full-backs.
For Switzerland, ball possession will be a key task. Yakin directly said that the best way to limit Messi's influence is to not let him receive the ball constantly. If the Swiss can calmly play out of pressure and not lose the ball quickly after winning it, the match could become very difficult for Argentina.
Argentina still remains the favorite due to class, experience, and the ability to decide episodes in the end. But Switzerland has already shown that they can endure, defend, and take the game to a penalty shootout. For the reigning world champions, this will be a test not only of attack but also of concentration: another slow start could cost too much.
The 23rd final tournament of the World Cup started on June 11. The world football forum is being held for the first time in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – and for the first time features 48 teams.
After the group stage, the two best teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams continued the fight. After two rounds of the playoffs, eight teams are vying for the main trophy.
The 2026 World Cup will conclude on the night of July 19-20 with the final match in New York.