Bellingham brace fires England into World Cup semis after Norway triumph

Jude Bellingham delivered a match-winning performance, scoring both goals to propel England to a 2-1 comeback victory against Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals. The Real Madrid midfielder equalized before halftime and netted the decisive goal in extra time, securing England's place in the semifinals.

Norway had taken an early lead through Andreas Schjelderup in the 36th minute. England responded just before the break with Bellingham's first goal, though a Harry Kane effort was disallowed for offside. Norway had a second-half goal by Torbjorn Heggem chalked off after a VAR review penalized Erling Haaland for a foul.

The match remained deadlocked through normal time, with both teams having chances. Kristoffer Ajer hit the crossbar for Norway, while Djed Spence threatened for England. The contest ultimately went to extra time, where Bellingham's quick reaction to a rebound off goalkeeper Orjan Nyland proved to be the difference.

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He and captain Harry Kane have now scored six goals each at the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time two England players have netted at least five goals in a single edition of the tournament.

England will now advance to face either defending champions Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals on July 15. Bellingham was named Player of the Match, and he and captain Harry Kane have now each scored six goals in the tournament. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also set a new England record with his 18th World Cup appearance, surpassing Peter Shilton.

For Norway, the quarterfinal exit concluded a historic tournament, marking their first appearance at this stage. Their previous best performances were reaching the Round of 16 in 1938 and 1998.

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Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also achieved a major milestone, making his 18th FIFA World Cup appearance to become England's most-capped goalkeeper in World Cup history, surpassing Peter Shilton's previous record of 17 matches.