What is England’s semi-final record? Key stats before World Cup clash with Argentina

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The Independent

15 July 2026

England

will play

Argentina

in their

fourth World Cup semi-final

after securing

a 2-1 win over Norway in extra time

on Saturday.

The back-to-back European Championship finalists were made to sweat in Florida but

Jude Bellingham

kept his cool in the Miami heat and humidity to send fans in the stadium and across the UK in raptures.

Wednesday’s clash against

in Atlanta will be the seventh time

have played in the semi-finals of a major tournament, not including the 1968 European Championship when only four teams qualified for the finals.

This is how

got on in their previous last-four encounters.

Portugal had a 100 per cent record going into the match at Wembley and seven of their 14 goals came from an inspired Eusebio.

However, Bobby Charlton struck in either half which meant that, while Eusebio inevitably pulled one back from the penalty spot late on, it was ultimately a mere consolation. The rest, as they say, is history.

open image in gallery

England players Mark Wright (floor) and Peter Beardsley combine to thwart Olaf Thon of West Germany during the 1990

FIFA

World Cup

Semi Final (Getty)

Paul Gascoigne’s tears and the start of their penalty shootout woes were the legacies of England’s biggest game since seeing off the same opponents in the final 24 years earlier.

Gary Lineker cancelled out Andreas Brehme’s deflected effort at the Stadio delle Alpi before, in the shootout, Stuart Pearce saw his spot-kick saved and Chris Waddle blazed over.

A familiar opponent and outcome as 30 years of hurt continued at Wembley.

Alan Shearer headed

in front early on, but Stefan Kuntz soon levelled and, while Gascoigne was agonisingly close to sliding in a winner in extra time, the teams could not be separated after 120 minutes.

Gareth Southgate missed his penalty in the shootout between

and Germany in the

Euro

1996 semi-final (PA Archive)

Remarkably, the first 10 penalties were scored in the shootout, meaning Gareth Southgate’s miss proved decisive.

Now the manager, Southgate led

back to the sharp end of a major event once more but, despite Kieran Trippier’s early free-kick giving them reason to believe, Croatia had other ideas.

Ivan Perisic struck midway through the second half at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium before Mario Mandzukic struck in extra time to break English hearts.

Falling behind to Mikkel Damsgaard’s goal might have invoked a familiar sinking feeling within

fans, but Simon Kjaer’s own goal sent the match to an additional 30 minutes at Wembley.

A nerve-racking shootout was avoided when Harry Kane converted after his penalty was saved as

ended their semi-final hoodoo. However, more penalty heartbreak awaited

in the final against Italy.

Ollie Watkins sent

to the

2024 final with his late winner against the Netherlands (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Ollie Watkins’ last-minute winner sent Southgate to a second major final as

manager.

After Harry Kane’s spot-kick cancelled out a superb Xavi Simons opener, substitutes Cole Palmer and Watkins combined for a winner, but final heartbreak against Spain followed.

Tuchel-Bellingham ‘clash’ derails England as Argentina make ‘urgent request’ and Spidercam truth revealed

Football365

From Tuchel’s outcast to England’s kingpin, how Jude Bellingham silenced his critics at the World Cup

Bellingham rebukes Tuchel after brace fires England into World Cup semi-finals

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