It was a tough moment for the Norwegians, especially Erling Haaland, who had a fantastic World Cup outing, scoring 7 goals in 5 matches
Published: July 12, 2026, 6:23 AM IST
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Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring a goal against Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final. (Credits: X)
A masterclass from midfield maestro Jude Bellingham helped England survive and qualify for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the Three Lions earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a stubborn Norway side in the 3rd quarter-final of the first-ever 48-team expanded tournament. The English outfit will now face the winner of Argentina and Switzerland, who will lock horns in the final fixture of last 8.
It was a tough moment for the Norwegians, especially Erling Haaland, who had a fantastic World Cup outing, scoring 7 goals in 5 matches. The Scandinavian nation returned to the competition for the first time since 1998 and they made it a memorable one, making their maiden quarter-finals appearance.
The passion that Norway fans brought to the tournament was truly unbelievable but they had to see a relentless English side prevailing through Jude Bellingham’s sensational brace.
Norway started the match with immense intensity and troubled the English defense early on. Their persistence paid off in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup capitalized on a loose ball in the box, cutting infield to curl a clever effort past a sprawling Jordan Pickford. The goal stunned the Three Lions, who had held the lion’s share of possession up to that point.
England responded just before the interval. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, Anthony Gordon found Bellingham inside the penalty area. The midfielder danced past a defender and drilled an angled finish into the far corner to equalise. Harry Kane thought he had put England ahead immediately after, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside.
The second half was dominated by heavy VAR drama. In the 56th minute, Norway thought they had regained the lead when Torbjørn Heggem bundled a rebound home from a corner.
However, following a lengthy video review, the goal was disallowed after Erling Haaland was penalized for a foul on Elliot Anderson in the build-up. Norway continued to press, with Kristoffer Ajer striking the crossbar, but normal time ended deadlocked at 1-1.
The decisive moment arrived just 3 minutes into extra time. Bellingham showed his clinical edge once again, reacting quickest to grab his second goal of the evening and blast England ahead. Norway threw everything forward in the final minutes, even substituting a tired Haaland but England held firm to seal their spot in the final four for the 2nd time in 3 World Cup editions.
England had qualified for the semi-finals during the 2018 Russia edition but they had unfortunately lost to eventual runners-up Croatia. This time around, the Three Lions are most likely to face reigning champions Argentina for a spot in the finale.
