Bellingham ends Erling Haaland's dream, sending England to the World Cup semifinals

England secured their place in the 2026 World Cup semifinals by defeating Norway 2-1 in extra time, with Jude Bellingham emerging as the undisputed star of the match. Bellingham's brace eliminated the team led by Erling Haaland, a close friend and fellow footballing sensation.

The match began with Norway taking a surprising lead in the 35th minute through a spectacular long-range goal by Andreas Schjelderup, which struck the post before entering the net. Bellingham, however, answered before halftime, driving into the box and scoring with a precise left-footed shot to equalize. England briefly thought they had taken the lead, but Harry Kane's goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

Norway appeared to regain the advantage early in the second half with a goal from Torbjørn Heggem, but the referee overturned the decision after a VAR review, finding a foul by Haaland on Elliot Anderson. This call, which maintained the 1-1 draw, seemed to energize England. Despite Norway creating clearer chances in the latter stages of the second half, including hitting the crossbar, the score remained level, pushing the game into extra time.

In extra time, after a strong save from Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland denied Harry Kane, Bellingham was perfectly positioned to score his second goal from a rebound. The 2-1 lead proved decisive, crushing Norway's hopes and sending England to the semifinals. The Norwegian team struggled to recover their attacking clarity after conceding the late goal.