Defender Dang Van Toi: 'England and Argentina will reach the semifinals'

The road to the 2026 World Cup title is reaching critical junctures. The last two semifinal berths will be hotly disputed in matches between England versus Norway and defending champions Argentina against Switzerland.

Although the two football giants are considered slightly superior, from the perspective of defender Dang Van Toi (Nam Dinh Club), both matchups hide unpredictable traps. Assessing the mental showdown between the "Three Lions" and the Nordic representative, the former Hanoi Club player analyzed: "I believe the clash between England and Norway is a highly balanced matchup full of risks for the English. What Norway just showed against Brazil proves they are a very cohesive, high-quality unit that is not easy to defeat.

Norway not only defends tightly but also, when needed, proactively controls the ball to impose their style on the opponent. Their biggest threat is undoubtedly Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker possesses incredible patience; he can go silent for 80 minutes, but if the opposing defense leaves even a small gap, this lethal finisher will immediately punish them and decide the match.

Meanwhile, England's defensive system is facing major personnel issues. A makeshift backline will be a fatal weakness for Norway to exploit.

Nevertheless, I still trust in the composure of England's stars. They possess players capable of deciding matches on their own, such as Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham. Kane's willingness to drop deep and act as a decoy to draw defenders, creating space for Bellingham to surge forward and finish off opponents—as seen against Mexico—will be the "Three Lions'" ultimate weapon. Additionally, defender Dang Van Toi also has faith in Argentina's ability to settle the match within 90 minutes against Switzerland: "Similar to their tense game against Egypt, Argentina will certainly face fierce resistance from Switzerland.

The Swiss team played an extremely tough, mobile, and well-transitioning match against Colombia. However, Argentina holds a key physical advantage, having not been drained by extra time like their opponents.

Switzerland's style of play consumes a lot of energy, so Lionel Messi and his teammates need to know how to exploit moments when the opponent drops off to suddenly accelerate and finish the game.

I predict a two-goal victory for Argentina. They will likely take control of the match in the early minutes before deliberately dropping deep to set up counterattacks.

In this match, Messi could play a deeper role, holding the ball and drawing in the opposition defense to create chances for teammates on the wings to push forward and score."

According to the schedule, the two quarterfinal matches—England vs. Norway and Argentina vs. Switzerland—will take place at 4:00 AM and 8:00 AM on July 12, respectively. The winners will directly face each other in the 2026 World Cup semifinals.