World Cup 2026: Bellingham’s Brace Fires England Past Norway into Semi-Finals
3 min read
By Sedara Philip
England are just one victory away from reaching their first FIFA World Cup final since 1966 after Jude Bellingham produced another match-winning performance to inspire the Three Lions to a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the quarter-finals.
Played under intense heat and humidity in Miami, the contest lived up to expectations as two of Europe’s most in-form teams battled fiercely for a place in the last four. England eventually prevailed thanks to Bellingham’s second brace of the knockout stage, setting up a mouthwatering semi-final clash against either Argentina or Switzerland.
Norway, buoyed by their historic victory over Brazil in the previous round, started confidently and were rewarded in the 36th minute.
Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a dipping effort that deceived England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford before nestling into the back of the net, handing the Scandinavians a deserved lead.
England, however, responded in the best possible manner just before halftime.
In first-half stoppage time, Anthony Gordon slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Jude Bellingham, who displayed remarkable composure before guiding his finish beyond Ørjan Nyland to restore parity and send the teams into the break level at 1-1.
England manager Thomas Tuchel reshuffled his side at halftime, withdrawing Declan Rice, who had struggled with illness and injury, alongside Noni Madueke. Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze were introduced as England searched for a winner.
Norway nearly regained the lead after the restart when Torbjørn Heggem found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out after VAR spotted Erling Haaland’s push on Elliot Anderson during the build-up. Moments later, David Møller Wolfe came agonisingly close, rattling the crossbar as Norway continued to threaten.
As fatigue set in during the sweltering conditions, both teams struggled to create clear opportunities, forcing the contest into extra time.
With penalties looming, England found their hero once again.
Three minutes into the additional period, Morgan Rogers tested Nyland with a powerful effort that the Norwegian goalkeeper could only parry into a dangerous area. Bellingham reacted quickest, pouncing on the loose ball to fire home his second goal of the evening and complete England’s comeback.
Norway pushed desperately for another equaliser, but England’s defence remained resolute to preserve the lead and book a place in the semi-finals.
The victory sends England into their third men’s World Cup semi-final since lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966, following previous appearances in 1990 and 2018.
For Bellingham, it was another defining performance on football’s biggest stage. The Real Madrid midfielder once again carried England when it mattered most, taking his tally to six goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and reinforcing his status as one of the tournament’s standout performers.
England will now look to take one final step towards history as they prepare for a blockbuster semi-final showdown with either defending champions Argentina or Switzerland, with a place in the World Cup final at stake.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
