MIAMI — Jude Bellingham delivered a two-goal performance, capping it with an extra-time winner, as England edged past a determined Norway squad 2-1 at Miami Stadium on Saturday to book a spot in the World Cup semifinals for the fourth time.
The match was deadlocked at 1-1 through 90 minutes after Andreas Schjelderup gave Norway the lead with a stunning strike in the 36th minute, only for Bellingham to level the score just before halftime.
Three minutes into extra time, Morgan Rogers unleashed a long-range effort that Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland could only deflect, and Bellingham pounced on the loose ball to drive it home. The goal sent the white-shirted supporters among the crowd of 64,478 into a frenzy.
England will now meet either Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday, competing in their fourth semifinal across their last five major championships. The team is chasing a repeat of their only World Cup title, which came back in 1966.
England coach Thomas Tuchel was candid in his post-match remarks, saying the result was cause for celebration but the performance left something to be desired. “The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” Tuchel said. “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, meanwhile, can feel hard done by despite the loss. They kept Erling Haaland off the scoresheet for the first time in his last 16 international appearances, and will leave their first World Cup in 28 years with their pride intact.
Norway captain Martin Odegaard reflected on the tournament with mixed emotions. “It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure,” he said. “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.”
The first half was a cautious, low-tempo affair — perhaps due to the oppressive heat — until Norway sparked to life when Julian Ryerson crossed for Haaland to head toward goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute. A minute later, Patrick Berg stripped Harry Kane of the ball near midfield and set Schjelderup free down the left side. The winger left makeshift England fullback Ezri Konsa in his wake before hammering a shot-cross hybrid into the net.
England looked shaken, and Norway pressed the advantage with Alexander Sorloth firing over the bar and Odegaard drilling a low shot that Pickford managed to push away. Norway nearly doubled their lead in the 44th minute when they had a two-on-one situation deep in England’s half, but Sorloth chose not to play Haaland in, allowing the defenders to recover and clear the danger.
Norway would pay for those missed opportunities when Bellingham conjured an equalizer of real quality just before halftime. Receiving a sharp pass from Anthony Gordon along the edge of the box, Bellingham used one touch to guide the ball into the area, another to beat a defender, then whipped a finish past Nyland into the far corner. Kane also got the ball into the net late in the half, but was ruled offside, a call confirmed by video review.
Video review was called upon again 10 minutes into the second half when Torbjorn Heggem believed he had put Norway back in front from a corner kick, but the goal was disallowed after officials determined Haaland had shoved Elliot Anderson in the buildup.
Norway gained momentum again after introducing speedy winger Oscar Bobb in the 67th minute, and England were fortunate to escape when David Moller Wolfe headed the ball over Pickford and onto the crossbar. England substitute Bukayo Saka nearly broke the deadlock with a dangerous cross in the 78th minute, and later created another chance from the byline, but no teammate could convert. Substitute Djed Spence caught Nyland off guard near the end of regulation, but the second half concluded with the score still level.
After Bellingham’s second goal in extra time, video review was used once more to overturn a penalty that had initially been awarded to England for a foul on Spence. Haaland, who finished the tournament with seven goals but couldn’t add to that tally, was substituted at halftime of extra time. Norway pushed for an equalizer but England held firm, matching the deep runs they made at the 1966, 1990, and 2018 World Cups.
A visibly emotional Norway coach Stale Solbakken offered a heartfelt assessment after the final whistle. “I feel sorry for the lads, but this is top level sports at its best or its most gruesome,” he said. “We played fantastic football against a super team, but we didn’t make it.”
