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.