​Jude Bellingham again illuminated England’s World Cup campaign by delivering the decisive moment in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Norway on Saturday. After 90 minutes of gripping football could not separate the teams, extra time was required, and three minutes into the extra period Bellingham seized a rebound off Morgan Rogers’ shot to fire the Three Lions into a lead they would not relinquish.
Bellingham’s goals have repeatedly given England the advantage, and this strike marked his third in the knockout stage that has produced leads that England would hold onto. With six goals in the tournament, Bellingham joins an elite group alongside Gary Lineker (1986) and Harry Kane (2018, 2026) as the only England players to score at least five goals in a single men’s World Cup, underscoring his growing status as one of England’s standout performers on the world stage.
The match commenced with Norway’s hydration break in the first half, after which they looked to seize initiative rather than settle into a defensive shell. Their pressing paid dividends in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup, who had come in for Antonio Nusa in the starting lineup, delivered a superb left‑footed strike from the edge of the England box that sailed past Jordan Pickford into the top corner for the opening goal. England did not allow the setback to derail their momentum; ten minutes later they drew level.
Anthony Gordon and Bellingham combined to unlock Norway’s defense. Gordon fed a precise pass into the Norway penalty area, and Bellingham took three controlled touches to carve out space before firing a shot beyond Ørjan Nyland to restore parity just before the break. However, a later review would raise questions about a potential early goal for the visitors, as England’s equalizer came under scrutiny for a possible earlier infringement.
In the halftime assessment, FIFA’s data indicated that Nyland’s goal kick, which led to Bellingham’s equalizer, did not show a detectable “peak” on the connected ball heartbeat sensor, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the first goal in the eyes of some observers. As the second half unfolded, Norway believed they had drawn level again about ten minutes after the break, but VAR intervened to overturn the decision, with referee Clément Turpin ultimately disallowing Torbjørn Heggem’s effort after confirming that Haaland had pushed Elliott Anderson ahead of Martin Ødegaard’s corner kick.
The match, by extra time, increasingly favored England, who restricted Norway’s opportunities and effectively neutralized Haaland, whose influence waned as the game wore on. Norway managed only four extra-time shots, all off target, as England’s defense held firm and the midfields and forwards pressed relentlessly to control the tempo. Haaland’s World Cup journey concluded with seven goals in the Golden Boot race; he was substituted in the 106th minute for Jørgen Strand Larsen after recording two shots and 21 touches, five of which occurred inside the England penalty area.
England’s victory sets up a semifinal clash that will see them return to the global stage for the second time in three World Cups. They advance to face either Argentina or Switzerland in the next round, with the game scheduled for Wednesday in Atlanta. The result extends England’s recent history of deep World Cup runs and continues to highlight Bellingham’s emergence as a world-class talisman, capable of delivering pivotal moments at the sport’s biggest stage.