England booked their place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Jude Bellingham produced a match-winning brace in a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Norway struck first through Andreas Schjelderup, who curled home a superb effort in the 36th minute to put the Scandinavian side on course for a famous victory.
However, England responded just before halftime when Bellingham calmly slotted home Anthony Gordon’s pass to level the score and swing the momentum in the Three Lions’ favour.
Both sides battled hard after the break, with Norway seeing a goal ruled out following a VAR review for a foul by Erling Haaland in the build-up. Despite several chances at both ends, the match remained locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Bellingham proved to be England’s hero in extra time. The Real Madrid midfielder capitalised on a costly mistake by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland to fire home his second goal of the night and complete the comeback.
England held firm in the closing stages to secure a hard-fought victory and advance to the World Cup semifinals, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland.
Bellingham’s outstanding performance once again underlined his importance to Thomas Tuchel’s side as England moved one step closer to ending their long wait for a second FIFA World Cup title.
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
