MIAMI: England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team were “lucky” to squeeze past Norway 2-1 after extra-time to reach the World Cup semi-finals, but praised “world-class” Jude Bellingham after his two goals dragged the Three Lions to victory.

A furious Tuchel was in little mood to celebrate despite England reaching the last four for just the fourth time in history after Bellingham’s double overturned Andreas Schjelderup’s opener.

“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today,” Tuchel said in an animated on-field interview moments after his team’s win. “The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance.

“The commitment is there, but it made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played, sloppy, lots of safety, not fast enough, not enough. We were lucky today.”

Bellingham was less than impressed with his manager’s reaction.

“Whatever. Whatever,” said the Real Madrid midfielder after a gruelling 120 minutes in the searing Miami heat. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift. All the players are putting in a tough shift. So my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who put in a good shift out there.”

Tuchel said later he had no doubt over his players’ effort but was adamant that his team would need to improve to progress further in the competition.

“I’m impressed with the shift that they put in, the effort, the belief and to overcome adversity and to dig in and find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level,” the German coach said at the post-match press conference.

“Full credit to the team, we found a way in the last four. This is of course the most important but the analysing head of me and the football coach still thinks that we can and have played better football.”

The teams were locked up 1-1 at the end of regulation time after Schjelderup had opened the scoring for Norway with a wonder strike in the 36th minute and Bellingham skipped into the area to equalise just before halftime.

Three minutes into extra time, though, Morgan Rogers fired a long-range shot at the Norwegian goal that Orjan Nyland could only parry and Bellingham stole in to bury the rebound, delighting the white-shirted fans in the crowd of 64,478.

Perhaps because of the stifling heat, the first half was a cagey affair but Norway exploded into life when Julian Ryerson crossed for Haaland to head the ball at goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute.

A minute later, Patrick Berg stripped Harry Kane of possession near halfway and released Schjelderup down the left, the winger turning makeshift England full back Ezri Konsa inside out before crashing a shot-cum-cross into the net.

England were rattled and Norway took full advantage with Alexander Sorloth hitting a rising drive over the bar and Martin Odegaard drilling in a low shot that Pickford parried away.

They should have doubled their lead in the 44th minute when they briefly had a two-on-one inside the England half but Sorloth decided not to pass to Haaland and the defenders recovered their ground to snuff out the danger.

CABLE FAVOURS ENGLAND?

Norway would regret their profligacy in stoppage time at the end of the half when Bellingham conjured up an equaliser of real quality from Anthony Gordon’s clever ball across the edge of the box.

Bellingham took one touch to steer the ball into the area, another to take him past a defender, before turning to whip it across goalkeeper Nyland into the far corner of the goal.

Norway coach Stale Solbakken said afterwards that England had got possession of the ball only because a Norwegian clearance had hit the aerial cable supporting a camera but FIFA said nothing had registered on the sensor in the ball.

“That was unlucky for for us,” Solbakken said. “The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction.

“But we can’t do anything about that. I don’t think we will play the game again. So, that’s how it is.”

The flashpoint came in first-half stoppage time when Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland’s long clearance appeared to suddenly change trajectory and fell into the path of England player Elliot Anderson, who launched the attack which led to Bellingham’s equaliser.

In its statement FIFA said the chip sensor technology — used to disallow a goal in Croatia’s knockout defeat to Portugal earlier in the tournament — showed there was “no evidence” of the ball hitting the cable.

The remainder of the half was all England with Kane getting the ball into the net again only to be adjudged offside, a decision confirmed by

VAR was again called upon 10 minutes into the second half when Torbjorn Heggem thought he had put Norway in front from a corner, his goal scratched off for a shove by Haaland on Elliot Anderson.

Norway’s introduction of pacey winger Oscar Bobb in the 67th minute triggered another period of dominance with England fortunate not to concede when David Moller Wolfe headed the ball over Pickford and onto the bar.

VAR was to intervene once more after Bellingham’s second goal to rule out an extra-time penalty awarded to England for a foul on Spence.

Haaland, unable to add to his tournament tally of seven goals, was substituted at halftime of the extra period and although Norway poured forward looking for an equaliser, England held on to match their progress to the last four at the 1966, 1990 and 2018 World Cups.

ON THE WORLD MAP

But Haaland said Norway’s performances had inspired a new generation despite the disappointment.

The Manchester City striker had scored seven times in his four games at a major international tournament to carry Norway to the quarter-finals in their first World Cup for 28 years.

That run included eliminating Brazil in the last 16 as Haaland struck twice to knock out the five-time winners.

“How we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most,” said Haaland. “Hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing and also all this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it’s possible to play a big stage in the world with a Norwegian shirt.”

Haaland’s brand as a global superstar has soared in recent weeks with waves of new American fans taking to his affable off-field personality as well as his goalscoring prowess.

He is hoping Norway can build on their success in the United States to become a powerhouse in the coming years.

“It’s kind of difficult to take in this kind of a show or rollercoaster that we’ve been in now for the last six weeks,” added the 25-year-old.

“I think this changes Norway, I think it changes me. I’ve said it many times, we’re building on something in Norway.”

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026