Month: July 2026

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English soccer fans have reason to believe that the world’s most coveted sports trophy — the FIFA World Cup Trophy — could finally be coming home after 60 years of dreaming.

The Three Lions defeated Norway 2-1 in extra time in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal on July 11, advancing to the semifinals, where they will face Argentina on July 15 at 3 p.m. in Atlanta.

Despite being the birthplace of modern soccer, England has won the championship only once: in 1966, when it defeated West Germany 4-2 at Wembley Stadium. It was also the only time England reached a World Cup final.

Saturday’s victory marked the third time England has reached the World Cup semifinals, following appearances in 1990 and 2018. The team now hopes to reach its second final and capture its first major international trophy in 60 years.

England fans cheered on “their boys” at a packed watch party at The Monro in Park Slope. The British pub is a favorite among football fans — “just don’t call it soccer” — and is also the official supporter pub for Liverpool F.C.

The match kicked off at 5 p.m. at Miami Stadium and got off to a slow start before Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring in the 36th minute. England’s No. 10, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, scored the equalizer in first-half stoppage time. Moments later, a goal by Harry Kane was ruled offside, ending England’s hopes of heading into halftime with the lead.

In the second half, Norway appeared to regain the advantage in the 55th minute when Torbjørn Heggem scored from a corner kick. However, the goal was overturned after a VAR review determined that Norway’s Erling Haaland had pushed England’s Elliot Anderson as the ball was played into the box.

The match went into extra time, where the 23-year-old Bellingham scored his second goal of the game in the 93rd minute — his sixth goal of the tournament — securing England’s place in the semifinals and ending Norway’s remarkable World Cup run.

Among the fans celebrating at The Monro were Kate Askew and Harry Norrish, who showed their England pride wrapped in the St. George flag. They told Brooklyn Paper during the break between regulation and extra time that the current England squad was the best team the country had seen in years.

“I think it’s a real pleasure to see the new team that we’ve got with our new manager finally playing the attacking football that we’ve wanted to play for years. We’re moving forward. We keep the ball moving. This is the best the team has looked in a long time,” Norrish, who moved from Leicester, England, to Brooklyn at the beginning of the year, said.

Askew, a Londoner visiting Norrish, predicted England would make it all the way to the final.

“We’re doing good. The final will be England vs. France, and at that point, anything can happen,” Askew predicted, noting that the players finally focused on representing England. “In terms of the golden era of English football, the reason why we never made it in the 2000s was that too many players put club before country.”

Gloria Mattera said England has experienced decades of near misses and heartbreak and was looking forward to a potential semifinal matchup against Argentina. Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 later that evening to advance.

“I don’t think Argentina was doing so great in their last few games. They kind of squeaked through, but I think it’ll be a great thing to see Messi and Kane and what that competition is going to be like,” Matter said.

The semifinal matchup will feature two of soccer’s biggest stars: England captain Harry Kane and Argentina captain Lionel Messi. The teams last met in an international friendly in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2005, when England won 3-2. Their most famous World Cup meeting came in 1986, when Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a quarterfinal match highlighted by Diego Maradona’s iconic “Hand of God” goal.

Nicole Fusco-Evans, who owns The Monro with her husband, Vincent — the pub is named after Vincent’s favorite hometown watering hole in Liverpool, England — was not only “ecstatic” about the win but also about the camaraderie and celebration among fans at the pub, where supporters sang “Three Lions,” the unofficial anthem of England’s football team.

“It really brings the community together. It brings our neighborhood together. It’s great. It’s a vibe,” Fusco-Evans declared.

England’s semifinal against Argentina will take place July 15 at 3 p.m. at Atlanta Stadium. The winner will advance to the final on Sunday, July 19, at New York/New Jersey Stadium, where it will face either Spain or France. Spain and France meet in the other semifinal on July 14 at 3 p.m.