England stops Haaland's 'storm' and advances to semis with Bellingham's brace

England has advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, overcoming Norway with a hard-fought 2-1 victory after extra time. The decisive goals came from Jude Bellingham, who proved to be the hero for the English side.

The quarter-final match, held at the Miami Stadium, was a tense affair that extended into extra time. Norway initially took the lead in the 36th minute with a goal from Andreas Schjelderup during a counter-attack. However, England quickly responded, with Bellingham netting the equalizer just before halftime in the 47th minute.

As the teams battled through a grueling second half, the score remained tied, forcing the match into extra time. Bellingham secured England's place in the next round by scoring the winning goal in the third minute of the first half of extra time. England successfully defended their lead against Norway's subsequent attacks, marking their return to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since the 2018 Russian tournament.

For Norway, this tournament marked a historic achievement as they reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the very first time. Their journey, which included star striker Erling Haaland scoring multiple goals in the round of 16 against Brazil, came to an end with this loss. Haaland, who had been a significant threat throughout the tournament, was unable to find the net in this crucial match.