Jude Bellingham proved to be England’s savior once again, scoring a magnificent double to secure a grueling 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami. Just five days after delivering a two-goal masterclass against Mexico, the 23-year-old midfielder single-handedly carried the Three Lions into only the fourth World Cup semi-final in the nation’s history.
The crucial brace brings Bellingham’s tournament tally to six goals, pulling him level with teammate Harry Kane and leaving him just one behind Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who was largely neutralized by the English defense amid punishingly hot and humid Florida conditions.
Thomas Tuchel’s side endured a highly rocky start and found themselves chasing the game after a bizarre opening goal. Norway took the lead when Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a cross-shot that took a freak trajectory, completely catching England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford off guard to open the scoring.
Norway had golden opportunities to double their advantage, most notably during a rapid two-on-one counter-attack where Alexander Sorloth wastefully opted not to square the ball to an open Haaland. England punished that inefficiency deep into first-half stoppage time when Bellingham embarked on a driving run into the box and fired a superb finish into the bottom corner.
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The equalizer did not come without heavy controversy, as the Norwegian squad protested furiously to the referee. Norway claimed that Orjan Nyland’s initial goal kick had struck an overhead television camera cable before falling to England’s Elliot Anderson in the buildup to the goal. However, FIFA officials quickly dismissed the complaints, stating that the ball’s internal tracking sensor registered no physical contact with the broadcast equipment.
As the match ground through a tense second half and drifted into extra time, both sets of players battled immense physical fatigue. With the looming threat of a penalty shootout hanging over the stadium, England finally found their breakthrough.
Substitute Morgan Rogers unleashed a powerful long-range effort that Nyland failed to handle cleanly. Reacting faster than any defender on the pitch, Bellingham pounced on the loose ball and bundled it into the back of the net from close range. The dramatic winner sets up a highly anticipated semi-final showdown against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday.
