The curse is broken! England finally conquers the dark cloud of 11 July

Bellingham erases the Qatar nightmare in historic World Cup comeback

Special Reports 12 July 2026 at 14:13

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The curse is broken! England finally conquers the dark cloud of 11 July

15.07.26 FT World Cup

England

Argentina

England conquered their historical 11 July curse in Miami this weekend staging a dramatic comeback to defeat Norway 2-1 after extra time.

For decades, 11 July stood as a dark recurring date of despair in the folklore of English football. Every time the Three Lions took the pitch on this specific summer day, heartbreak inevitably followed.

However, Thomas Tuchel’s resilient squad finally ripped up the script. Despite falling behind 1-0 to a dangerous Norwegian side, a magnificent double from Real Madrid maestro Jude Bellingham dragged England back from the brink securing their fourth ever World Cup semi final berth and erasing the painful memories of their premature exit at Qatar 2022.

The Dark History of 11 July

To truly appreciate the psychological weight lifted by this victory, one only needs to look at England's grim historical record on this exact calendar date:

Date	Opponent & Tournament	The Heartbreak
11 July 2021	Italy (Euro 2020 Final)	Luke Shaw scored after just 2 minute at Wembley but Leonardo Bonucci equalized and Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri eventually snatched the trophy in a brutal penalty shootout on English soil.
11 July 2018	Croatia (2018 World Cup Semi-Final)	England took an early lead through Kieran Trippier in Russia, only to suffer a crushing 2-1 extra time defeat missing out on their first final since 1966.
11 July 1966	Uruguay (1966 World Cup Group Stage)	Even during their greatest historical triumph 11 July brought disappointment. Sir Alf Ramsey’s legendary side kicked off their home tournament with a flat 0-0 draw in front of 87000 frustrated Wembley fans.

How England finally broke ‘July 11’ curse including infamous Euros final and World Cup semi-final heartbreak
https://t.co/ORIGA0PYDo
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) July 12, 2026

Into Uncharted Territory: Argentina Awaits

With the psychological hurdle cleared, an immense wave of optimism has swept through the English fanbase. Tuchel is successfully building a hyper efficient modern system upon the solid defensive foundations laid by his predecessor, Gareth Southgate leaving supporters dreaming of a first global title in 60 years.

The Three Lions now march into a titanic semi final clash against reigning champions Argentina this Wednesday at 19:00 GMT in Atlanta. In a fascinating statistical twist, England enters completely uncharted territory:

The national team has never played a single match on 15 July 15 in its entire history.

Should they survive Lionel Messi's squad, the same mathematical anomaly applies to the grand final on 19 July in New Jersey. Stripped of their historical curses and entering a blank slate of calendar dates, England's date with destiny has never felt more unpredictable.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.