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Tuchel angry at ‘lucky’ and ‘sloppy’ England – can ‘mentality’ be enough?
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36'
Goal Andreas SCHJELDERUP (Norway) scores!!
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45'+2'
Goal Jude BELLINGHAM (England) scores!!
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93'
Goal Jude BELLINGHAM (England) scores!!
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117'
Yellow card Kristoffer AJER (Norway) is booked by
Norway squad
- Selected
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1 Orjan NYLAND Goalkeeper
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3 Kristoffer AJER Defender
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5 David MOLLER WOLFE Defender
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6 Patrick BERG Midfielder
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7 Alexander SORLOTH Forward
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8 Sander BERGE Midfielder
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9 Erling HAALAND Forward
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10 Martin ODEGAARD C Midfielder
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17 Torbjorn HEGGEM Defender
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21 Andreas SCHJELDERUP Midfielder
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26 Julian RYERSON Forward
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2 Morten Thorsby Midfielder
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4 Leo OSTIGARD Defender
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11 Jorgen STRAND LARSEN Forward
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12 Sander TANGVIK Goalkeeper
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13 Egil SELVIK Goalkeeper
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14 Fredrik AURSNES Midfielder
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15 Fredrik Andre BJORKAN Defender
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16 Marcus HOLMGREN PEDERSEN Defender
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18 Kristian Thorstvedt Midfielder
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19 Thelo AASGAARD Midfielder
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20 Antonio NUSA Forward
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22 Oscar BOBB Midfielder
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23 Jens Petter HAUGE Midfielder
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24 Sondre LANGAS Defender
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25 Henrik FALCHENER Defender
England squad
- Selected
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1 Jordan PICKFORD Goalkeeper
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2 Ezri KONSA Defender
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3 Nico OREILLY Defender
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4 Declan RICE Midfielder
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5 John STONES Defender
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6 Marc GUEHI Defender
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8 Elliot ANDERSON Midfielder
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9 Harry KANE C Forward
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10 Jude BELLINGHAM Midfielder
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18 Anthony GORDON Forward
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20 Noni MADUEKE Forward
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7 Bukayo SAKA Forward
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11 Marcus RASHFORD Forward
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12 Trevoh CHALOBAH Defender
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13 Dean Henderson Goalkeeper
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14 Jordan HENDERSON Midfielder
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15 Dan BURN Defender
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16 Kobbie MAINOO Midfielder
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17 Morgan ROGERS Midfielder
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19 Ollie WATKINS Forward
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21 Eberechi EZE Midfielder
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22 Ivan TONEY Forward
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23 James TRAFFORD Goalkeeper
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24 Reece JAMES Defender
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25 Djed SPENCE Defender
- Full squad
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26 Jarell QUANSAH Defender
England have reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after an incident-filled quarter-final win over Norway in Miami, secured in extra time by a Jude Bellingham double. Despite the achievement, manager Thomas Tuchel was openly critical of his side, describing the performance as "lucky" and "sloppy" and saying England had "made life very, very difficult" for themselves — comments that raise the question of whether character and mentality alone can carry the team to the title.
Norway pushed England hard, taking the lead, missing a good chance to double it, having a goal disallowed and hitting the bar in a game lasting 122 minutes. Bellingham struck in the 47th and 93rd minutes to take his tournament tally to six goals, roughly a goal a game, and pushed back at Tuchel's assessment, saying "sometimes you have to win dirty" and suggesting the manager may not appreciate the conditions faced against players like Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. England, who have looked unconvincing since a 4-2 opening win over Croatia, now face Argentina in the semi-final with little recovery time, chasing only their second World Cup title.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Tuchel's criticism reflects a legitimate principle that tournament success requires both character and genuine performance improvement. Even though England advanced, the manager's job includes demanding higher standards—winning without convincing play against Norway suggests vulnerabilities that will be exposed by stronger opponents like Argentina. Building a winning mentality requires not accepting marginal performances; constructive criticism drives the tactical and technical improvements necessary to win the tournament, not merely progress through it.
The case against
In knockout football, the result is paramount and the performance secondary. Bellingham's point about winning "dirty" reflects sound tournament logic—conditions, opposition intensity, and fortune all matter, and sometimes you cannot play perfectly whilst also winning. Public criticism of players who delivered crucial goals in difficult circumstances is demoralizing ahead of a semi-final and misses what they genuinely achieved; England's mentality and character got them through, and that psychological strength may be precisely what carries them forward.
Explained simply
The World Cup is the most prestigious international football tournament, held every four years. England are competing in the 2026 edition and have advanced to the semi-finals following their quarter-final victory over Norway, leaving them two matches away from potentially winning the trophy for only the second time in their history.
Thomas Tuchel is England's manager and Jude Bellingham is their standout player, having scored six goals so far in the tournament. England's path through the earlier rounds has included some unconvincing performances alongside more accomplished displays, though the team has continued to progress.
Winning the World Cup represents one of sport's greatest achievements and is extremely rare for any nation. England last won the trophy in 1966, and their semi-final position now offers them a genuine opportunity to claim a second world title.