Key Takeaways
- Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the extra-time winner, as England defeated Norway 2-1.
- England will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday for a chance to reach their first final since 1966.
- Norway's Martin Odegaard praised his team's performance despite losing.
Jude Bellingham was the star of England’s World Cup campaign as he scored twice, including the extra-time winner, to help his side defeat Norway 2-1 and secure a place in the semi-finals. The victory came at Miami Stadium on Saturday, where England overcame a strong Norwegian challenge to advance for the fourth time in their history.
The match began with Norway taking an early lead through Andreas Schjelderup's stunning wonder strike in the 36th minute. However, Bellingham equalised just before halftime, ensuring that the game remained competitive heading into extra-time.
Three minutes into extra-time, England capitalized on a defensive error by Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland to secure their victory. Morgan Rogers' long-range shot was parried, and Bellingham pounced to score the decisive goal, delighting the white-shirted fans in attendance of 64,478.
England coach Thomas Tuchel expressed his satisfaction with the result but criticized his team's performance: 'The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance. We made life very, very difficult for ourselves in the way we played. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.'
Norway's skipper Martin Odegaard acknowledged his team's efforts: 'It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure. We must be proud. We are here for the first time in a long time, and we are making our mark. The whole world is talking about us.' Despite their valiant performance, Norway will exit their first World Cup in 28 years with mixed emotions.
England’s next match will see them face either Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday in Atlanta. This encounter marks the fourth semi-final appearance for England in their last five major championships and comes as they look to repeat their sole World Cup triumph of 1966.
The victory was particularly significant given that Erling Haaland, Norway’s star player, was held scoreless for the first time in his last 16 matches for his country. Despite this, Haaland's spectacular run of scoring came to an end against England, with the striker being substituted at halftime due to exhaustion.
Norway will reflect on their historic campaign, which saw them reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1994. Their performance was praised by Tuchel: 'We were lucky today,' he said, acknowledging that Norway's efforts deserved more from a game perspective.
The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance.
Thomas Tuchel, England coach
It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure. We must be proud. We are here for the first time in a long time, and we are making our mark. The whole world is talking about us.
Martin Odegaard, Norway skipper
