England is heading to the World Cup semi-finals after a clutch 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway on Saturday, with Jude Bellingham netting the winner that sends them to the final four. Talk about drama! That puts them squarely against Argentina and, get this, a first-ever meeting with Lionel Messi. This is the moment, right?
Gone Are The Days of England's Collapse
Forget everything you thought you knew about England in major tournaments. Ten years ago, being serial contenders sounded like a joke. They got bounced in the last 16 at Euro 2016 by Iceland, then finished dead last in their World Cup group in Brazil, with one point from a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica. Now, led by the brilliance of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who've bagged 11 of England's 13 goals this World Cup, these guys are legitimate championship threats, not just this year, but every year. Since Euro 2016, England has made at least the semi-finals in four out of five tournaments. Only Argentina and France have topped that, with their own World Cup and Copa America titles. This is unprecedented territory.No More "Gonna Throw It Away" for England
The old "Three Lions" song perfectly summed up England fandom: "England's gonna throw it away, gonna blow it away." It was always hope over experience. After the Euro '68 semi-finals, they didn't reach another last four until the 1990 World Cup, a 22-year drought, missing multiple tournaments. Post-Euro '96, it was another 22 years to a semi-final. We remember the heartbreak: Beckham's red card at France 98, Rooney's red at the 2006 quarter-finals, Seaman's gaffe in 2002, even failing to qualify for Euro 2008. For 68 years before Russia 2018, England only reached one final and three semi-finals, two as hosts. Their 'golden generation' never passed the quarter-finals. But things are different now. A teenager following this team knows mostly deep tournament runs. Two finals and two semi-finals in eight years. Gareth Southgate led them to back-to-back Euros finals, losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and 2-1 to Spain in 2024. Now Thomas Tuchel is in charge, tasked with going all the way. This is a remarkable era for England's football teams, not just the men's side, with the Lionesses winning back-to-back European Championships and being runners-up at the 2023 Women's World Cup. But right now, it's all eyes on Saturday's semi-final clash with Argentina. Can Thomas Tuchel and this squad, spearheaded by Bellingham and Kane, finally take that next step and make history? We're about to find out, and you absolutely do not want to miss it.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.