World Cup Nights: England tame Norway, Argentina survive Switzerland. Semifinals set: France-Spain and England-Argentina

A nerve-shredding night of quarterfinals, both settled in extra time. In Miami, England came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace, sending Haaland home. In Kansas City, Argentina laboured but downed Switzerland 3-1, Alvarez and Lautaro finishing the job in extra time after Embolo's red card. The bracket is complete: France-Spain in Dallas on Tuesday, England-Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday. No football tonight: two days off before the semifinals.

At the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, in tropical heat (over 90 F at kickoff), England suffered but kept alive the dream of a first title since 1966. On 36 minutes Norway had gone ahead through a fierce left-footed strike from Andreas Schjelderup, unstoppable for Pickford: the fifth time the Scandinavians had scored first at this World Cup. But right on halftime Jude Bellingham, already the match-winner against Mexico in the last 16, levelled things up for 1-1 at the break. In the second half Norway thought they had struck again through Heggem, only for VAR to rule it out for a Haaland shove before the corner. Extra time it was, and Bellingham needed just three minutes: the keeper parried a long-range effort and the England man was quickest to bundle home the 2-1. It was his sixth goal of the tournament; for Norway, never this far at a World Cup, only heartbreak remained.

A similar script on the other side of the country. At Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, in front of more than 69,000 fans, world champions Argentina again flirted with danger before edging a stubborn Switzerland 3-1. The Albiceleste led on 10 minutes through an Alexis Mac Allister header from a Messi corner (a 10th career World Cup assist for La Pulga, each to a different player), but Switzerland never folded: on 67 minutes Dan Ndoye slid one under Kobel for 1-1. The turning point came on 72, with a second yellow for Breel Embolo, punished by VAR for a dive, leaving the Swiss down to ten amid controversy. In extra time the big names took over: on 112 a surgical Julian Alvarez finish into the top corner, then on 121 Lautaro Martinez's seal for the final 3-1. A blank night for Messi, who had scored in nine straight World Cup games: just the assist this time, though the record of 21 career World Cup goals still belongs to him.

The night leaves above all a bracket and a couple of talking points. The semifinals are set and promise fireworks: in the top half, France, champions in 2018, driven by a Kylian Mbappe back on top of the scoring chart (8 goals, level with Messi but ahead on assists); in the other half, Bellingham's England against Messi's Argentina, a revival of one of the fiercest rivalries in World Cup history. Embolo's red card, meanwhile, is up for debate, the striker leaving the pitch in tears: seen by many as a punishment out of proportion to a dive, by others as the rules correctly applied. And Haaland's adventure ends without glory too, the Norwegian stranded on 7 goals and now watching from home.

And here is the real twist for anyone hunting for football on TV: there are no games tonight or tomorrow. The World Cup takes two days off before the closing act. It resumes on Tuesday 14 July at 21:00 Italian time, at Dallas's AT&T Stadium, with the first semifinal: France-Spain, the 2018 winners against one of the tournament's meanest defences. On Wednesday 15, again at 21:00, at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the second: England-Argentina. At stake is the final on 19 July at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium; the losers will instead contest the third-place playoff in Miami on Saturday 18.

Two nights to remember, four teams left standing, one trophy at the end of the tunnel. Two days to catch a breath now, then Dallas and Atlanta: back with you tomorrow at dawn.

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