Bellingham defends England's effort after Tuchel's criticism

England midfielder Jude Bellingham pushed back against head coach Thomas Tuchel's criticism of the team's performance, despite their hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals.

Tuchel had stated after the match that England were fortunate to advance and emphasized the need for significant improvement heading into the semifinals. "We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic - we're in the last four - but I'm not happy with the performance. We got lucky today. We need to play better. We will get better, we need to get better," Tuchel said.

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We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic - we're in the last four - but I'm not happy with the performance. We got lucky today. We need to play better. We will get better, we need to get better.

Bellingham, however, acknowledged the intensity of the game and lauded the squad's commitment. "Yeah, well. Whatever. Whatever. It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. All the players are putting in a tough shift. So my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who put in a good shift out there," he responded.

The Real Madrid midfielder was the hero of the match, scoring a late equalizer before netting the decisive goal in extra time. Norway had taken the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas Schjelderup, but Bellingham's brace secured England's place in the semifinals. He will now face either Argentina or Switzerland.

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Yeah, well. Whatever. Whatever. It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. All the players are putting in a tough shift. So my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who put in a good shift out there.