2026 World Cup: England and Argentina advance to semi-finals, Klopp-DFB negotiations progress

Business Desk · 13 July 2026 at 02:59 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What we know

England and Argentina qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. According to Handelsblatt, England beat Norway 2-1 after extra time and Argentina eliminated Switzerland 3-1, also after extra time.

The two semi-finals: France vs Spain on Tuesday at 21:00, then England vs Argentina on Wednesday at 21:00.

The Bellingham goal controversy

Bellingham's equalizer (1-1) for England sparked fierce dispute. Television images suggested the ball had touched a suspended cable above the field before entering the goal.

Norway filed an official complaint with FIFA, which was rejected. England ultimately won 2-1 after extra time.

Norwegian airline Norwegian had engaged in a public online bet on a Norway victory. After the loss, it honored its commitment by replacing its Instagram logo with that of British Airways. British Airways responded on social media.

the most beautiful weeks of my life, maybe

— Erling Haaland (25 years old), Norwegian striker, despite the dejection felt just after elimination

Messi despite the injuries

Lionel Messi (39 years old) left the field with blood around his right eye after the quarter-final against Switzerland. He had already suffered a bump on his forehead during the round of 16 against Cape Verde, which Argentina won 3-2.

According to Argentine media (TyCSports), Messi allegedly asked Portuguese referee João Pinheiro to speak to him with respect during an exchange in the first half, visible in videos posted on social media. This information had not been confirmed by other sources at the time of publication.

Klopp heading for the Germany bench?

Negotiations to recruit Jürgen Klopp as German national team manager have entered a decisive phase. According to Kicker, the German Football Association (DFB) leadership was scheduled to meet Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's chief executive officer, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

At stake: negotiating an early exit clause from Klopp's contract, which binds him to Red Bull until 2029 as Head of Global Soccer. According to Kicker, Mintzlaff was then to meet with Klopp in New York at the end of the week.

Klopp allegedly concluded a preliminary agreement with DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke during a summit in the United States. These reports have not been officially confirmed.

What about Switzerland?

Switzerland has been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after its 1-3 defeat to Argentina in the quarter-final after extra time.

In brief