England are into the World Cup 2018 quarter-finals after a nail-biting 1-1 draw with Colombia – and a penalty shoot-out that saw goalkeeper Jordan Pickford earn hero status while manager Gareth Southgate put to bed the ghosts of a Euro 96 loss in which he missed a penalty himself.
Of course, this poses some important questions: who will England face in the next round? When will their matches be on TV – and which channel will it be on?
- What World Cup matches are on TV today?
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Well, here’s some good news for everyone working 9-5: no matter the scenario, all of England’s knockout matches will take place either on a weekend or at 7pm on a weekday.
Here are all the details you need…
Click here for our full guide to TV, online and radio coverage of World Cup 2018
Who will England play in the World Cup quarter-finals?
After their Last 16 triumph over Colombia, England will head into a quarter-final with Sweden.
England will play Sweden at 3pm on Saturday 7th July
The match will air on BBC1, live from the Samara Arena.
Many are seeing this fixture a victory in itself as England could have faced favourites Brazil in the quarter-final if they finished top of their group and beat Japan, as Belgium have done.
The game is England’s first quarter-final since 2002 when they lost to Brazil. If they beat Sweden, it’ll be the first time England have won two knockout games in a tournament since 1990.
What is England’s record against Sweden?
The last time England and Sweden met in a major tournament was at Euro 2012, where the Three Lions won 3-2 in the competition’s group stage. However, the sides played again in a friendly later that year (their most recent meeting) where Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored four goals – including THAT ridiculous overhead kick from 35 yards – winning the game 4-2. Fortunately, Ibrahimovic won’t be playing on Saturday, with the 36-year-old now retired from international football.
England have played Sweden twice before in a World Cup, with both matches ending in draws. Their 2002 meeting ended 1-1 and the sides drew 2-2 in 2006.
Sweden are currently ranked the 24th best side in the world, which could mean the team could be easier competition than Colombia (ranked 16th). England are currently ranked 12th.
Sweden have never won the World Cup, with the side’s best effort coming with a second place finish in 1958 when they lost 5-2 to Brazil in the final.
Prior to their last 16 win over Switzerland, the Swedes hadn’t won a World Cup knockout game since 1994 and the country didn’t qualify for the past two competitions.
How did Sweden get to the quarter-finals?
The Swedes topped arguably the most difficult group of the bunch, winning 1-0 against South Korea, losing 2-1 to defending champions Germany and hammering Mexico 3-0 in the last group game. They then won a tightly fought contest against Switzerland in the last 16 1-0, thanks to Emil Forsberg’s strike in the 66th minute.
Who could England play in the World Cup semi-final?
This game, if England get through, will see them play either Croatia or Russia (the teams play Saturday 7th July at 7pm – after England’s quarter-final) .
England’s semi-final is extremely likely to air on ITV, with the broadcaster having first dibs of the semi-final games.
If England win their quarter-final…
They’ll play Wednesday 11th July at 7pm. Check the full World Cup 2018 schedule here.
When is the World Cup final on TV?
Whether England make it all the way or not, the final will air on Sunday 15th July, 4pm from Moscow. The match will be broadcast on both ITV and BBC1.
When is the World Cup third-place play-off on TV?
The losers of both semi-final games will face off on Saturday 14th July, 3pm at St Petersburg. The match will air on ITV.
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