England Edge Norway 2-1 in Extra Time To Reach 2026 World Cup Last Four

England Edge Norway 2-1 in Extra Time To Reach 2026 World Cup Last Four

By Our Reporter 

  Jude Bellingham produced a match-winning performance with a brace as England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Three Lions were forced to come from behind in a fiercely contested quarter-final played at Miami Gardens.

Norway took the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas Schjelderup, who calmly finished after being set up by captain Martin Ødegaard. The goal came moments after Erling Haaland had narrowly missed the target with a header.

England responded just before the interval when Bellingham equalised in stoppage time (45+2), finishing from an Anthony Gordon assist to send the sides into the break level.

With neither team able to find a decisive goal in the second half, the contest extended into extra time. Bellingham once again proved decisive, heading home from a corner in the 93rd minute to complete his brace and send England into the final four.

France's Clément Turpin, who officiated the match, overturned an England penalty decision in the 102nd minute after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The victory extends England's dominance in the fixture. In 12 meetings between the two nations, England have now recorded seven wins, three draws and two defeats.

Their last World Cup qualifying meeting came on June 2, 1993, when England secured a 2-0 victory. The teams also met in four international friendlies, with two ending goalless before England claimed successive 1-0 victories in May 2012 and September 2014.

Pre-match attention had focused on the battle between England's established football pedigree and an ambitious Norwegian side led by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. The encounter lived up to expectations, with Norway pushing England throughout a high-intensity contest.

Ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings and world champions in 1966, England entered the match as favourites against 31st-ranked Norway. The Scandinavian side, making only their fourth World Cup appearance, had already made history by reaching their first-ever World Cup quarter-final after previous Round of 16 finishes in 1938 and 1998.

England will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Argentina and Colombia for a place in the World Cup final.

The other semi-final will see France take on Spain on July 14.