The England World Cup 2026 campaign went a step further, as the Three Lions beat Norway 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Jude Bellingham scored another brace to take his team into the last four, where they will face Argentina.
Bellingham has now scored six goals in the tournament, and his performance in this World Cup is the best by any English midfielder in the tournament’s history, aside from Bobby Charlton in 1966 and Paul Gascoigne in 1990.
However, the Three Lions, who have been largely carried by Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, have two new heroes in their line-up after the England vs Norway match.
England World Cup 2026 Campaign: Anthony Gordon And Djed Spence Stepping Up When It Matters Most
Gordon caught the eye in the England vs DR Congo match first, when he managed to register two assists in the match.
Following that game, he earned a penalty against Mexico in the Round of 16, which Kane dispatched, giving England a 3-1 lead. In the England vs Norway match, Gordon was England’s best player in the first half and registered another assist by playing the pass to Bellingham for England’s equaliser.
Gordon’s willingness to go for second balls and ability to find his teammates in the final third remains a great asset for his team. The England World Cup 2026 team have Marcus Rashford in the squad as well, who initially started in Thomas Tuchel’s side at the start of the tournament.
However, as things stand now, Gordon has taken over the role of the left-winger quite comfortably for Thomas Tuchel’s men. He was replaced by Eberechi Eze in the second half, but remains the third most influential player in the England World Cup 2026 campaign behind Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
As for Spence, he initially started the tournament as a starter/substitute at the right-back position, but performed brilliantly as a substitute left-back in the England vs Norway match.
Spence had played well as a substitute in the England vs Mexico match as well; however, the full-back winning the duel against Norwegian right-winger Oscar Bobb decisively on Saturday tilted the scales in favour of the English.
The Tottenham Hotspur defender’s speedy overlaps posed a lot of problems to Bobb and Norway’s makeshift right-back, Fredrik Aursnes, who replaced an injured Julian Ryerson in the second half.
Bobb conceded a penalty while trying to stop Spence inside the penalty box, but the decision was then overruled by VAR as the penalty was not given.
The left side of the English team is now very strong because of the presence of both Gordon and Spence. Spence can play on either flank as a full-back, which gives Tuchel some nice options to shuffle his personnel.
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England’s Clash Against Argentina In The Semi-Final
England have a history of playing controversial matches against Argentina at World Cups.
Football lovers cannot forget the epic match-ups between the two teams at World Cups 1986, 1998 and 2002, and Wednesday’s match should be another chapter in the rivalry between the two nations.
However, with the newfound heroes, England will hope to make it to the final, where they are scheduled to meet Spain or France.
The next match and the subsequent one should not be easy for England, but then again, World Cup semi-finals and finals are not supposed to be easy.
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