2026 World Cup: England in the Semi-Finals with Jude Bellingham's Brace

The 2026 World Cup quarter-final match played in Miami on 11 July 2026 provided breathtaking moments for the football world. England managed to emerge from this extremely tough battle against Norway with a 2-1 victory in extra time. The star of the match was Jude Bellingham, who scored both goals and carried his team on his shoulders. Guaranteeing a spot in the semi-finals following France and Spain, England wrote their name among the final four teams of the tournament. This result once again proved to the whole world how impressive a performance the star player of English football can deliver on the stage.

England Head Coach Thomas Tuchel fielded his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation in this crucial encounter. While the experienced Harry Kane operated at the very tip of the attack, two significant changes were made from the lineup that secured a victory against Mexico. Due to Jarell Quansah's suspension, Ezri Konsa was placed in the right-back position, and Noni Madueke was given a chance in the starting eleven in place of Bukayo Saka. On the Norwegian side, head coach Ståle Solbakken responded to his opponent with a 4-3-3 formation. Norway's offensive power was generated by their superstar striker Erling Haaland.

In the early stages of the match, both teams displayed a cautious game and started at a slow pace. Although England took control of the game in the later minutes, they failed to break through Norway's solid defensive block. However, contrary to the run of play, Norway capitalized on their rare opportunities and caused a major shock. In the 36th minute, a magnificent strike from Andreas Schjelderup found the back of the net in the corner where the goalkeeper was diving. Following this tremendous goal, Norway put England under immense pressure with the fast and aggressive attacks of Alexander Sørloth and Martin Ødegaard.

Toward the end of the first half, England managed to get a grip on the game again through the individual skills of their star players and managed to equalize. In the 45+2nd minute, Jude Bellingham, who slipped behind the defense with a flawless pass from Anthony Gordon, controlled the ball and beat the opposing goalkeeper Nyland with a diagonal strike. In the second half, Norway tried to take the lead, but the English defense resisted collectively. Norway's goal in the 55th minute was disallowed after a VAR review, citing Haaland's involvement. In the 76th minute, Aursnes's shot came back off the England goalpost.

As the regular time of the match ended in a 1-1 draw, the teams went into extra time to break the deadlock. Right at the start of extra time, specifically in the 94th minute, Jude Bellingham took the stage and scored that decisive goal determining the fate of the match. The goalkeeper parried the shot of newly-substituted Morgan Rogers, and the following Bellingham sent the ball into the net, putting his team 2-1 ahead. In the final minutes of the match, even though Norway applied massive pressure and did not want to concede a third goal, English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made extremely crucial saves to preserve the score. With this victory, England earned the right to face the winner of the Switzerland and Argentina clash in the semi-finals of the tournament.