England reach World Cup semi-final as Rice fitness sparks selection debate
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England have reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after beating Norway 2-1 in the quarter-final, setting up a last-four meeting with either Argentina or Switzerland. One notable talking point was midfielder Declan Rice, who was substituted at half-time during the win over Norway, raising a question over his fitness ahead of the next match. To accompany the coverage, the BBC has invited supporters to pick their preferred England starting XI through an interactive team selector.
The semi-final is scheduled for Wednesday at 20:00 BST and will be shown live on the BBC. The team selector defaults to a 4-3-3 formation, allowing fans to change the shape and choose players for every position, from goalkeeper through the midfield to the front three. The BBC's wider coverage also outlines England's potential path to the final, alongside World Cup quizzes and related material.
- England beat Norway 2-1 to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
- They face either Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday at 20:00 BST.
- Declan Rice was substituted at half-time, raising fitness questions.
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England reached the quarter-final stage of the 2026 World Cup and beat Norway 2-1 to book a place in the semi-finals, one of the last four teams remaining in the tournament. Their opponent will be either Argentina or Switzerland, two sides with strong World Cup pedigree, with the winner of that tie progressing to the final. Declan Rice, a key figure in England's midfield, is a central talking point after being taken off at half-time against Norway, which has led to questions about whether he will be fit and available for the next round.
The match is due to be played on Wednesday evening and will be broadcast live on the BBC, meaning it will be widely accessible to viewers across the UK. Alongside its match coverage, the BBC has also produced an interactive feature letting fans pick their own preferred England line-up, reflecting the wider public interest and debate around team selection at this stage of the competition.
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Originally published by BBC Sport as “Pick your England XI for World Cup semi-final”.