World Cup 2026: England book semi-final spot thanks to Bellingham brace (2-1)

11.07.26 AET World Cup

Norway

1

:

England

2

England clinched a 2-1 victory over Norway after extra time, securing their ticket to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup thanks to a match-winning brace from Jude Bellingham.

From the outset of extra time, the English seized control against a Norwegian side clearly suffering in the Florida heat. Despite the introduction of Leo Østigård to shore up the defense, Ståle Solbakken couldn't prevent the Three Lions from immediately breaking through. In the 92nd minute, a thunderous strike from Morgan Rogers was parried by Ørjan Nyland, only for Jude Bellingham to pounce and complete his crucial double. Moments later, England nearly doubled their lead with a penalty, but VAR overturned the decision, ruling Bukayo Saka had simulated the foul.

Read also: World Cup 2026: Norway-England heads to extra time after a totally wild match (1-1)

An unbreakable white wall to the very end

Norway refused to give up, even after Erling Haaland was forced off with cramp and replaced by Jørgen Strand Larsen in the 105th minute. From there, Thomas Tuchel opted to lock things down, sacrificing hero Bellingham to bring on defender Dan Burn for the closing stages. England nearly put the game beyond doubt on a rapid counter, but Nyland kept Norway alive with a sensational double save against Djed Spence and then Saka.

After a gripping and exhausting contest, the Three Lions have punched their ticket to the final four of this 2026 World Cup, where they will face the winner of the Argentina vs. Switzerland quarter-final.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

Related teams and leagues

Norway

England

World Cup