England overcame a tense World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami, securing a 2-1 victory thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, who scored a brilliant equaliser before half-time and an extra-time winner. The Three Lions will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
Match Overview
England started brightly but lost momentum after the first hydration break in the brutal Miami heat. Norway took the lead through a fortunate cross-come-shot from Andreas Schjelderup that beat Jordan Pickford at his near post. Bellingham levelled before half-time with a sublime individual effort, his fifth goal of the tournament. Norway thought they had regained the lead through Torbjorn Heggem, but the goal was ruled out after VAR penalised Erling Haaland for a push in the build-up. The second half saw Norway apply sustained pressure, but England also threatened late on, forcing extra-time. With penalties looming, Bellingham capitalised on a mistake from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland to score the winner in extra time.
Player Ratings
Jordan Pickford – 4
Beaten from a tight angle for Norway's opener, a cross-come-shot that hit the post after Pickford appeared to pull his arm away. Gary Neville and Roy Keane agreed he should have done better. Looked nervous throughout, regularly pushing routine saves behind for corners on the day he became England's most capped player in World Cup history.
Ezri Konsa – 7
Tasked with solving England's right-back headache ahead of Djed Spence, Konsa was a solid presence despite Norway's opener coming from his wing. He tired as the match went on and was substituted.
John Stones – 6
Making only his second start of the World Cup, Stones snuffed out an early Norway opening with 'smart and brave' defending, according to ITV pundit Lee Dixon. However, he gave the ball away in his own box shortly after and was relieved to see Norway waste the chance. He did well to nullify Haaland, who was surprisingly substituted in extra-time, likely due to injury.
Marc Guehi – 7
Kept his Manchester City teammate Haaland quiet. Guehi was on the bench for England's World Cup opener but now looks to have reclaimed his place for the semi-finals.
Nico O'Reilly – 7
Combined well with Anthony Gordon down the left, where England had most of their joy in the first half. Despite concerns over his defensive ability, he was solid, standing up to Oscar Bobb late on and making a timely challenge to prevent a Norway goal. His aerial physicality is a bonus in both boxes.
Declan Rice – 4
Threatening from set-pieces for Arsenal, Rice wasted two early corners and a free-kick, surprising the ITV commentary team. Lee Dixon said he looked 'energy-depleted'. He was withdrawn at half-time, having not looked fully fit for weeks and struggling with a bug earlier in the week. Thomas Tuchel will be desperate for Rice to be back to his best for the semi-final.
Elliot Anderson – 8
Covers more ground than anyone and is defensively sound but showed he is more than a workhorse with two superb cross-field passes early on. Former England defender Neville described his performance as 'outstanding'. Anderson, who is set to join Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, impressed. England lost control of the midfield after half-time, but that was more due to Rice's absence than Anderson's performance.
Noni Madueke – 3
Somewhat surprisingly picked over Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka, Madueke flattered to deceive on the right before being hooked at half-time. An early promising run followed by an overhit cross set the tone, and he later angered Tuchel by being caught offside unnecessarily. With Saka's fitness issues, Tuchel may wonder if he should have brought Cole Palmer or Phil Foden.
Jude Bellingham – 9
England's star man scored another sublime goal, jinking into the box before an emphatic finish into the bottom corner. Minutes later he thought he had provided a brilliant assist, only for the flag to go up for offside. His ability to turn under pressure and get England up the pitch is invaluable. He appeared to fade in the second half, but produced the decisive moment with an extra-time goal, sparking bedlam across the country.
Anthony Gordon – 8
Produced his best performance of the tournament against Mexico and impressed again here, causing Norway's right-back problems with his pace and directness. He provided the assist for Bellingham's equaliser with a lovely pass. Gordon was taken off after another proper shift. The Barcelona new signing started the World Cup slowly but showed why he is viewed as a £70 million talent.
Harry Kane – 6
Forced to feed off scraps, Kane blasted a free-kick over from the edge of the box early on and had a brilliant dink ruled out for offside. He wanted a free-kick in the build-up to Norway's opener but may look back and think he should have been stronger. He had little impact thereafter, but his leadership skills are vital in cagey games.
Substitutes
Bukayo Saka – 8
Started the second half slowly but came alive towards the end, dancing into the Norway box and whipping in a ball begging to be tucked away. He had the Norwegian defence on toast in extra-time, showing how different England would look with a fully-fit Saka.
Eberechi Eze – 5
Introduced at half-time, Eze had only 19 touches in the next 45 minutes. Arsenal legend Ian Wright questioned his introduction, but Eze's ability to keep the ball and move England up the pitch became increasingly important in extra-time.
Reece James – 7
Replaced Gordon in the 70th minute as Tuchel opted for a tactical tweak. James immediately showed the speed and strength that make him one of the best full-backs in world football.
Djed Spence – 8
Danced into the Norway box and looked to have earned England a penalty in extra-time before VAR overturned the decision. He came close to a goal involvement twice more, almost nicking the ball off Nyland and then testing him in extra-time. His inclusion in England's World Cup squad was questioned, but he is proving to be a hugely valuable member of the group.
Morgan Rogers – 7
Gave England much-needed pace and power after his late substitution. It was his shot that Nyland spilled to Bellingham for the winner.
