How many times has England played in a World Cup semifinal?

England are back in a World Cup semifinal for the first time since Russia 2018 after defeating Norway on Saturday to keep their hopes of lifting a second world title alive.

England’s constant challenge of reaching a semi

The achievement carries extra weight when viewed in historical context. Since winning the 1966 World Cup on home soil, the Three Lions have reached the semifinals only three times before this year’s run.

It took England 24 years to return to the final four after their triumph at Wembley, with their next semifinal appearance coming at Italy 1990. That campaign ended in heartbreak as they lost to West Germany in a penalty shootout.

Another long wait followed. England did not make another World Cup semifinal for 28 years, eventually reaching the last four again at Russia 2018. On that occasion, Gareth Southgate’s side were beaten 2-1 after extra time by Croatia, falling one step short of the final.

This time, the wait has been much shorter. Just eight years later, England have booked another place in the semifinals after overcoming Norway. Their reward is a showdown with the winner of Argentina and Switzerland, with Lionel Messi’s defending champions widely expected to advance.

England finally end their July 11 hoodoo

England also put an unusual piece of history behind them. This was the third time the national team had played a major knockout match on July 11 – and the first time they emerged victorious.

Their previous two knockout games on that date both ended in painful defeats. The first was the 2018 World Cup semifinal loss to Croatia. The second came three years later, when England were beaten by Italy on penalties in the UEFA Euro 2020 final, played on July 11, 2021, after the tournament was delayed by the pandemic.

Now, with that unwanted streak over, England are just one win away from reaching their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy 60 years ago.

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