FIFA World Cup 2026: Skipper Harry Kane says England can “improve” de…

Florida [US], July 12 (ANI): England captain Harry Kane said the Three Lions still have room for improvement despite reaching the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway. biznow.biz

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Kane revealed that head coach Thomas Tuchel congratulated the players after the match but also stressed that England could raise their level further in the tournament.

“[Tuchel] just said there in the changing room, obviously, wow, massive congratulations, and we should enjoy it and celebrate," Kane told ITV, as quoted by The Athletic.

“But he still feels like there’s a part of him that knows we can do better, which in a way is a good thing. If we’re in a semi-final of a World Cup knowing we can still improve, still find another level, then yeah, we’ve got to take that as a positive," he added.

After England’s win, England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted his side were fortunate to come away with a victory over Norway.

“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic – we’re in the last four – but I’m not happy with the performance. We got lucky today. We need to play better. We will get better, we need to get better," Tuchel said after the match, as quoted by FIFA.

Kane also highlighted the team’s resilience, saying England had repeatedly shown the mentality required to succeed in knockout football.

“We have the most important ingredients as a team, we showed that again today. If we can just start ticking a little bit better with the ball, with possession, then yeah, we’ve got a couple of big games ahead," Kane told ITV, as quoted by The Athletic.

England came from behind to defeat Norway 2-1 after extra time and secure a place in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Jude Bellingham starred with both goals, scoring a first-half stoppage-time equaliser before netting the winner in extra time to complete the comeback.

Norway had taken the lead through Andreas Schjelderup, while a second-half goal from Torbjorn Heggem was ruled out following a VAR review.

Bellingham was named Player of the Match as England advanced to face either defending champions Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also became England’s most-capped goalkeeper in World Cup history with his 18th tournament appearance. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Three promising golfers from the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) will represent India at the 78th Singapore Open Amateur Championship, scheduled to be held from July 14 to 17 at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Bukit Course.

Organised by the Singapore Golf Association, the prestigious event is one of Asia’s leading amateur golf tournaments and will feature top men’s and women’s amateur golfers from across the region and beyond. The championship is also a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) counting event, with the winner earning an invitation to compete in the prestigious Singapore Open.

The Indian contingent from DGC comprises Deepak Yadav, Chaitanya Pandey and Ranveer Mitroo, all of whom expressed their excitement at representing the country on the international stage.

Deepak Yadav described the selection as a special milestone in his career.

“It’s a great feeling. Representing India at the international level is everyone’s dream. I’ve been there before, but this is a very special moment. It’s a dream for any player who wants to play golf and starts playing golf. It’s their dream to go and represent India. Hopefully, I want to pursue a professional career next year," he said.

Fourteen-year-old Chaitanya Pandey, currently ranked among the top five players on the Indian amateur circuit, believes the tournament will be an important learning experience.

“I am very proud of representing my country outside India in the Singapore Open Amateur Golf Championship. I am currently 14 years old and am in the top 5 in the Indian amateur circuit. It will definitely be a great exposure for my career in the growth of my game," he said.

Ranveer Mitroo, who is set to make his third appearance for India’s men’s national team after previously representing the country at the junior level, is eager to embrace the challenge.

“I’m really excited. It’s always an honor playing for my country. This is my third time playing for my men’s national team. I represented India thrice as the junior team. I’m just really excited for the challenge. It’s gonna be tough conditions, weather-wise, most probably. I’m looking forward to the challenge," he said.

First played in 1948, the Singapore Open Amateur Championship has long served as a platform for emerging talent, with several former champions going on to establish successful professional careers. (ANI)

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Dubai [UAE], July 12 (ANI): ICC Chairman Jay Shah congratulated former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Anjum Chopra, along with former England batter Kevin Pietersen, after the three cricketers were inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame.

He said that three “extraordinary individuals" have contributed greatly to cricket.

“I am delighted to welcome the latest inductees into the @ICC Hall of Fame, a tribute to the extraordinary individuals whose achievements have contributed greatly to our sport. @SGanguly99, @chopraanjum and @KP24 have all led their national teams with pride, and I would like to congratulate them on behalf of the ICC for this richly deserved honour," Shah said in a post on X.

The International Cricket Council announced the three new inductions on Saturday, recognising their outstanding contributions to the game across different eras and formats. The ICC Hall of Fame honours cricketers whose achievements have left a lasting impact on the sport.

Ganguly joins the elite list after an illustrious international career in which he scored more than 18,000 runs. Widely regarded as one of India’s most influential captains, Ganguly transformed the team’s mindset with his fearless leadership and aggressive approach.

He made an unforgettable start to his Test career with a century at Lord’s and later formed one of ODI cricket’s most successful opening partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar. Under his captaincy, India reached the 2003 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final and produced the famous 2001 Kolkata Test victory over Australia after following on.

Former India Women’s captain Anjum Chopra earned a place in the Hall of Fame for her pioneering role in the growth of women’s cricket in the country. During a 17-year international career, Chopra scored more than 3,500 runs and became the first Indian woman to feature in 100 One-Day Internationals.

She captained India to first-ever overseas Test victory against South Africa and played a vital role in laying the foundation for the future success of the women’s game in India.

Completing this year’s list is former England batting star Kevin Pietersen, one of the most destructive batters of his generation. Pietersen amassed 13,797 international runs and was instrumental in England’s triumph at the 2010 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament.

A dominant performer in both Tests and ODIs, Pietersen also reached the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batter rankings and was a multiple-time selection in the ICC Teams of the Year. (ANI)

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Jude Bellingham locked arms with teammate Harry Kane as England fans belted out the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

Bellingham certainly earned the serenade.

He scored twice on Saturday — an equaliser in the first half and the go-ahead goal in the third minute of extra time — to lift England past Norway 2-1 and into the FIFA World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018.

The Real Madrid star has now matched Kane with six goals in this tournament, two behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi and one shy of Norway’s Erling Haaland, who was held scoreless by England. Bellingham also scored twice in the round of 16 as England beat co-host Mexico.

England, winner of the 1966 World Cup and facing pressure to return to the title match, is now one win away from getting there. The Three Lions will face either Argentina or Switzerland, who were set to play Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

Not everyone was thrilled with England’s performance.

“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today,” coach Thomas Tuchel said in a contentious interview with Fox Sports. “The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but not happy with the performance … in every sense.”

Bellingham seemed to disagree with his coach’s critique after England prevailed in the heat and humidity of South Florida, with temperatures reaching 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) at the start of warm-ups.

“Well, whatever,” Bellingham said, shaking his head. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players out there who put in a great shift.”

Andreas Schjelderup scored in the 36^th minute for Norway, a squad that reached its first quarterfinals and took the internet by storm with its “Viking row” and the charisma of Haaland, their fearsome 6-foot-5 striker.

Haaland was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in this World Cup. The Manchester City star sat dejectedly on the bench after he was subbed out for Jorgen Strand Larsen in the second half of extra time.

Norway nearly went ahead 2-1 in the 56^th minute when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a corner kick. Following a video review, the goal was disallowed because of a foul by Haaland in the box. Haaland was also denied by Pickford on a point-blank header in the first half.

Schjelderup, making just his second start of the tournament, fired a shot that caromed off the right post and into the net to stun an England team that had dominated possession to that point. Bellingham’s equaliser from close range elicited a roar from that crowd that included Mick Jagger and England great David Beckham.

Schjelderup, who set up both of Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round of 16 win over Brazil, celebrated by stretching his arms wide and looking at the crowd as his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders. Meanwhile, Kane sat near midfield, grabbing his leg and looking toward the officials. No foul was called.

Moments before Bellingham evened the score, a Norway goal kick resulted in the ball appearing to make contact with an aerial camera cable before landing at the feet of England’s Elliot Anderson. The ball was eventually played to Bellingham, who beat Ørjan Nyland with a low shot to the far post. By rule, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have stopped, and a drop ball would have been utilised to determine possession. FIFA later said the sensor in the ball indicated it did not touch the cable.

There was a brief moment of silence before the match in honour of Jayden Adams, the 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa whose death was announced earlier Saturday.

A wonder strike from Julian Alvarez in extra time bailed Argentina out against a spirited 10-man Switzerland in the quarterfinals, before Lautaro Martinez sealed the victory later on. With another goal from Alexis Mac Allister, the defending champions booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal with a 3-1 victory. They will face England in Atlanta for a place in the final.

This was the first match for Lionel Messi in this World Cup without a goal, but his assist for Mac Allister took him to a record 10 World Cup assists, making him the highest assist provider in the tournament’s history.

This was one of the most underwhelming performances by Lionel Scaloni’s side, who throughout the game showed a lack of intent to force Switzerland onto the back foot. The scoreline might deceive those who only follow the result, but Switzerland were the better side for large spells of the game, or at least matched the weight of playing against the world champions.

Julian Alvarez scored his fifth World Cup goal and his first in this edition in perhaps the most astonishing fashion. After receiving a pass from Jose Manuel Lopes outside the left corner of the box, Alvarez created the angle for himself with a few touches of his right foot. A thunderous strike in the 112th minute curled into the top-right corner. No goalkeeper in the world could perhaps have stopped that, and the 6-foot-5 Gregor Kobel could do nothing despite a full-stretch dive.

Speaking of the match and his goal, Alvarez said, “Obviously we’d like to win earlier, but the matches are very tough.” (Via: AFA)

“I had the space, no one came at me, and I decided to take the shot”, he added. “It’s going to be a tough match against England, they’re a great team.”

The opener came in the 10th minute. Messi’s delivery from the left curled away from the goalkeeper and was met by a scintillating header into the far corner by the Liverpool midfielder, who is perhaps not the tallest man on the pitch. Even after the goal, Argentina failed to take control of the match as the Swiss continued to dominate possession and had more touches inside the opposition box by a margin of 7-2 at the half-hour mark.

Murat Yakin’s side kept knocking on the Argentine goal as the defence continued to show vulnerability. Argentina had conceded four goals in their previous two games against Cabo Verde and Egypt. Lisandro Martinez made a flying tackle to deny Dan Ndoye in the 50th minute, but the equaliser arrived within the next 20 minutes. The pressure was mounting on the Argentine defence, and a brilliant combination involving Ricardo Rodriguez opened up space for Ndoye, who finished clinically under Emiliano Martinez’s left foot to bring Switzerland level.

Minutes later came another refereeing controversy. Initially, Leandro Paredes was booked for a challenge on Breel Embolo. However, after a ‘mistaken identity’ check, Paredes was cleared of the foul and Embolo was instead penalised for simulation. The Rennes forward was left in tears as he received his second yellow card, reducing Switzerland to 10 men.

Argentina failed to capitalise on the numerical advantage as Switzerland switched to a 5-3-1 shape that frustrated the Argentine attack and kept Messi at bay. The Swiss also avoided conceding unnecessary fouls in dangerous areas, and the match headed into extra time.

After Alvarez’s stunning strike in extra time, Switzerland had nothing left to lose and threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, leaving spaces at the back. Following a Swiss attack, Argentina launched a counter led by Lautaro Martinez, who played it to Thiago Almada. Kobel blocked Almada’s effort, but with fewer defenders available to clear the danger, the rebound fell kindly for Martinez, who applied the finishing touch in the dying moments of extra time to seal a 3-1 victory for Argentina.

Scaloni, however, showed little sign of celebration after the final whistle, heading straight down the tunnel as soon as the match ended.

Also Read: Embolo’s moment of madness sends switzerland crashing out against Argentina

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