England is headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals for the second time in eight years, punching their ticket on a sweltering Saturday in South Florida after coming back from a 1-0 deficit to eliminate upstart Norway. The temperature was over 90 degrees before the 5 p.m. kickoff, but it was England's Jude Bellingham who brought the real heat.
Bellingham Was Just Built Different in Miami
If you watched this game, you know Jude Bellingham was the whole story. Norway's Andreas Schjelderup actually opened the scoring, but Bellingham immediately canceled that out with a spectacular equalizer just before the intermission. Then, in the third minute of extra time, he hammered home the winner after Norwegian keeper Ørjan Nyland failed to corral the rebound from Morgan Rogers' powerful shot. England coach Thomas Tuchel absolutely nailed it, calling it a "world-class performance from a world-class player in big, big moments , crucial moments." Bellingham himself kept it cool, saying, "It's nice to have an impact and to help my team." Let's be real, he's been doing this, scoring twice in the thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico last weekend too. Keeper Jordan Pickford summed it up perfectly: "His mentality is what puts him on that level." This game was wild. Stats showed both sides had 10 shots, 5 on target. Both teams even had a goal called back , England's for offside, Norway's after VAR flagged a foul by Erling Haaland. VAR even denied England a penalty later, keeping the tension sky-high. In a match billed as a Haaland vs. Harry Kane showdown, Bellingham totally stole the show and sent England packing for the next round.Norway's Gritty Run Ends, But What a Fight
You gotta give Norway some serious props, even though they're headed home. They had never made a World Cup quarterfinal before, and hadn't even qualified for the biggest event in sports this century until this summer! Nobody really expected much, with them ranked 32nd by FIFA in January and 31st when the World Cup kicked off. Despite having Haaland spearheading the attack and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard running the show, it was a long shot. They fought hard, took the lead, and kept it tight, but Bellingham was just too much for them in the end. So, while Norway packs their bags, England is off to Atlanta for the World Cup semifinal. Talk about high stakes!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.