Bellingham’s Brace Powers England Past Norway into World Cup Semifinals
TITLE: Bellingham’s Brace Powers England Past Norway into World Cup Semifinals
England secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Norway in the 2026 North American World Cup quarterfinals, with Jude Bellingham’s two goals proving decisive in the extended contest held on December 12th at Miami Stadium. This win propels England into the semifinals for the first time in eight years, since the 2018 Russia tournament, keeping their hopes alive for a second World Cup title, 60 years after their first in 1966.
The match saw Norway, making their first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance, take the lead in the 36th minute of the first half with a goal from Andreas Schjelderup. However, Bellingham quickly equalized for England in the 47th minute of added time, skillfully navigating past three defenders after receiving a cross from Anthony Gordon. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 through regular time, forcing an extension.
Bellingham once again emerged as the hero in extra time, scoring his second goal just three minutes into the first period. He capitalized on a rebound from Morgan Rogers’ shot, which Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland initially saved. Despite England missing a chance for a penalty kick after a VAR review, they held on to their lead. Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland, who had scored seven goals in five matches leading up to this point, including a brace against Brazil in the round of 16, was notably kept quiet by the English defense and was substituted in the second half of extra time, ending his tournament run.
This stellar performance marks Bellingham’s second consecutive multi-goal game in the World Cup knockout stage, making him the second-youngest player in World Cup history, at 23 years and 13 days, to achieve this feat after Pelé in 1958. England’s captain Harry Kane lauded Bellingham’s ability to change the game, acknowledging that despite not playing their best football, having a player like Bellingham makes a significant difference. England will now face the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland quarterfinal.
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