KUALA LUMPUR – Jude Bellingham scored twice as England came from behind to edge Norway 2-1 after extra time and advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals at Miami Stadium on Saturday (July 11).
The Real Madrid midfielder struck the winning goal in the 93rd minute after Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland could only parry Morgan Rogers’ fierce effort from outside the penalty area.
Bellingham reacted quickest to the loose ball before slotting home from close range to send Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions into their first World Cup semi-finals since the 2018 edition in Russia.
England, who won their only World Cup title on home soil in 1966, are now two victories away from ending a 60-year wait for a second crown.
In the quarter-final clash, Norway had taken the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas Schjelderup, who produced a stunning finish to beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
However, Bellingham restored parity in first-half stoppage time after running onto Anthony Gordon’s pass, creating space inside the penalty area and drilling a fine low shot into the net.
Norway nearly regained the lead in the 53rd minute when Julian Ryerson’s cross found Erling Haaland but Pickford reacted superbly to turn the striker’s downward header around the post.
The Scandinavians thought they had scored their second two minutes later when Torbjorn Heggem capitalised on England’s failure to clear a corner and fired the ball high into the net.
However, the goal was disallowed following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review after Haaland was adjudged to have shoved Elliot Anderson with both hands in the build-up.
Neither side managed to find a winner in regulation time, forcing the contest into extra time before Bellingham completed England’s comeback with his second goal of the night.
England will face the winners of the quarter-final clash between defending champions Argentina and Switzerland.
Despite the defeat, the quarter-final appearance marked Norway’s best-ever World Cup campaign, surpassing their previous best of reaching the round of 16 in 1938 and at their last appearance at France 1998. – July 12, 2026