England are into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals after Jude Bellingham struck twice in a gripping 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami on Saturday night. The Real Madrid midfielder cancelled out Andreas Schjelderup’s opener before the break, then delivered the decisive blow in the third minute of extra time to send the Three Lions through to their first World Cup semifinal since 2018.
Norway Strike First, England Respond
The contest that so many had billed as Haaland against the Three Lions instead turned on the tournament’s other great narrative arc. Schjelderup gave Norway a deserved lead with a composed finish, silencing the sections of Miami Stadium draped in white and red. England looked rattled, but Bellingham dragged them level before halftime, arriving late in the box with the kind of surging run that has defined his tournament.
The second half became a war of attrition. Norway sat deep and dared England to break them down, while Thomas Tuchel rolled the dice with attacking substitutions. Neither side could find a winner in the ninety, and for long stretches a penalty shootout loomed.
Extra-Time Drama in Miami
Bellingham had other ideas. Barely three minutes into the additional period, he pounced on a loose ball in the area and swept it home, sparking wild celebrations on the England bench. Norway pushed forward in search of an equaliser and threw everything at the English penalty area in the closing stages, but the defence held firm through eight agonising minutes of stoppage time.
For Harry Kane, England's record World Cup scorer, the night was quieter in front of goal but no less significant. The captain led the press superbly and drew the fouls that repeatedly relieved pressure late on. The victory, though, came at a familiar cost: England must now navigate a semifinal without the suspended Jarell Quansah, whose ban was doubled by FIFA earlier this week.
A Semifinal Against the Champions
England’s reward is a Wednesday date with defending champions Argentina in Atlanta, a rematch of some of the most storied fixtures in World Cup history. Tuchel was measured afterwards, praising his side’s resilience while acknowledging that the level must rise again against the holders.
For Norway, a first World Cup appearance since 1998 ends in the last eight, but the journey has transformed expectations for an entire footballing nation. For England, the dream rolls on. Two more wins would end sixty years of waiting, and in Bellingham they have a player who looks utterly determined to deliver them.
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