England progressed to the World Cup semi-finals by defeating Norway 2-1 in a Miami quarter-final, with Jude Bellingham's two goals proving decisive in the knockout encounter. The victory was tainted by controversy, however, as Norwegian supporters questioned whether Bellingham's opening strike should have been allowed to stand, with objections raised about England's equaliser.

Despite advancing, manager Thomas Tuchel offered pointed criticism of his squad's display, describing them as fortunate whilst identifying significant defensive deficiencies. The match was characterised as disjointed and scrappy, with individual player performances scrutinised, raising questions about tactical concerns heading into the semi-final stage.