England advances to World Cup semifinals after 2-1 victory over Norway

By Noah Lavoie — 12 July 2026 — 3 min read

England Secures Semifinal Berth

England has advanced to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018, following a 2-1 victory over Norway. The decisive goal came from Jude Bellingham in the third minute of extra time, marking his second goal of the match. Bellingham’s earlier equalizer late in the first half helped bring England back into contention after Norway had taken the lead.

The match, held in Miami Gardens, Florida, saw a strong performance from Bellingham, who is now tied with teammate Harry Kane with six goals in the tournament. They trail Kylian Mbappé of France and Lionel Messi of Argentina, who each have eight goals. Bellingham also scored twice in the round of 16, contributing to England’s win against co-host Mexico.

England, the 1966 World Cup winner, is now one victory away from reaching the title match. Their next opponent will be either Argentina or Switzerland, who were scheduled to play on Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

Match Highlights and Key Players

Norway, making its first appearance in the World Cup quarterfinals, initially stunned England when Andreas Schjelderup scored in the 36th minute. Schjelderup’s shot deflected off the right post and into the net, giving Norway the lead against an England team that had largely controlled possession. Schjelderup, making only his second start of the tournament, had previously set up both of Erling Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round of 16 victory over Brazil.

Haaland, the Manchester City star, had entered the match with seven goals in the tournament but was held without a goal against England. He was substituted in the second half of extra time for Jorgen Strand Larsen. Norway nearly took a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute when Torbjørn Heggem scored after a corner kick, but the goal was disallowed following a video review due to a foul by Haaland in the box. Earlier in the first half, Haaland also had a point-blank header saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Bellingham’s equalizer came after a moment of controversy. A Norway goal kick appeared to make contact with an aerial camera cable before landing near England’s Elliot Anderson. The ball was then played to Bellingham, who scored with a low shot past goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. According to rules, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have been stopped and a drop ball would have been used to determine possession.

Team Lineups and Coaching Staff

The confirmed starting lineups for the quarterfinal match featured several notable players. For England, the lineup included Pickford, O’Reilly, Stones, Guehi, Konsa, Anderson, Rice, Gordon, Bellingham, Madueke, and captain Kane. Jarell Quansah of Bayer Leverkusen was unavailable for England, serving a two-game suspension for a red card received in the win against Mexico.

Norway’s starting eleven consisted of Nyland, Wolfe, Ajer, Heggem, Ryerson, Berg, Berge, captain Ødegaard, Schjelderup, Haaland, and Sørloth. Julian Ryerson of Borussia Dortmund maintained his place in the starting lineup after returning from injury in the victory over Brazil. Schjelderup’s strong performance against Brazil earned him a starting spot, while RB Leipzig‘s Antonio Nusa was on the substitute bench. Both Nyland and Sørloth are former Leipzig players.

Both teams are led by former Bundesliga coaches. Ståle Solbakken, Norway’s coach, had a spell at Köln during the 2011-12 season. England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, had a successful career in the Bundesliga with Mainz, Dortmund, and Bayern. Tuchel, at 52 years old, is aiming to become the first foreign coach to win the World Cup.

Before the match, a brief moment of silence was observed in honour of Jayden Adams, a 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa, whose death was announced earlier on Saturday.

Source: winnipeg.citynews.ca