The milestone also marked Jordan Pickford’s 90th total cap for his country and his 30th consecutive start for England across major international tournaments
Published: July 12, 2026, 6:35 AM IST
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File photo of Jordan Pickford from the FIFA World Cup 2026. (Credits: IANS)
England Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has created history by becoming the most capped English player in FIFA World Cup history during the Three Lions’ quarter-final clash against Norway at the Miami Stadium. The Everton goalkeeper earned his 18th World Cup appearance, surpassing the long-standing record of legendary shot-stopper Peter Shilton as the English unit sailed through to the semi-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Norwegians.
Peter Shilton had held the record since 1990 with 17 appearances across three tournaments in 1982, 1986, and 1990. Pickford drew level with Shilton during the round-of-16 win against Mexico before taking the record for himself on Saturday night.
The milestone also marked Pickford’s 90th total cap for his country and his 30th consecutive start for England across major international tournaments. Since breaking into the side before the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Pickford has remained the undisputed number one through the 2022 tournament in Qatar and the current 2026 campaign in North America.
The historic occasion turned into a grueling battle as England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time. Norway started brighter and opened the scoring in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup beat Pickford with a well-placed shot. England found their response just before the halftime whistle. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, Anthony Gordon found Jude Bellingham inside the area, and the midfielder fired home the equalizer.
The second half brought massive tension and VAR drama. Norway looked to have taken the lead again in the 56th minute when Torbjorn Heggem scored from a corner, but the goal was wiped out after VAR spotted an Erling Haaland foul in the buildup.
Three minutes into extra time, Bellingham struck again, reacting quickest to score his second goal of the night and send England through to the semi-finals.
