​After reaching the stage as hosts in 1966, and then progressing again in 1990 in Italy and 2018 in Russia, England now face another World Cup semi-final as they prepare for the next challenge. When French referee Clement Turpin signalled the end of a dramatic quarter-final in Miami, Thomas Tuchel’s exhausted players collapsed to their knees in relief and celebration after the game went to extra time with Norway forcing them to the limit. England’s supporters in the stands roared their approval as two-goal hero Jude Bellingham celebrated, though a moment of misfortune arose when he accidentally collided heads with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford amid the on-pitch jubilation. Captain Harry Kane stood alongside his teammates to acknowledge the thousands of loyal fans who had journeyed to Florida.
Yet Tuchel was far from satisfied. “We got lucky,” he said after a quarter-final in which Norway took the lead, missed a clear chance to make it 2-0, had a goal chalked off, and even struck the crossbar. “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It’s amazing but I am not happy with the performance—in every sense. We made life difficult for ourselves with the way we played, sloppy, with many technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough.” He even hinted that one factor had helped England advance. “This is pure mentality,” he added.
When asked to respond to his manager’s comments and criticisms of the performance, Bellingham—who struck in the 47th and 93rd minutes—said, “Yeah, well, whatever. It’s difficult out there; it’s a tough shift. All the players have put in a hard shift. My thoughts and appreciation go to the players out there who put in a great shift.” England’s campaign has not yet delivered the fireworks some hoped for at this World Cup since they opened with a 4-2 victory over Croatia. They were held by Ghana, edged past Panama 2-0, trailed DR Congo before advancing, and then fought hard to see off Mexico 3-2 with ten men. Tuchel stressed that while he “loves” the team, he also expects more. “There is no disconnect from me to my team. With my heart, I am fully in love with my players and my team, but we can play better; there are a lot of things to do better.” The question remains whether character and mentality alone will suffice as England chase World Cup glory for the second time—or whether improvement is essential.
In the wake of the intense, humid Miami conditions, England now faces a demanding path to the semi-finals without much time to rest, with a 122-minute battle behind them. Bellingham, who is averaging a goal per game at this tournament after his brace in the quarter-final, remains central to England’s ambitions. “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth,” noted one teammate amid the fatigue. They are not facing easy opponents again, but their focus must sharpen as they push toward the semi-final, seeking another chance to lift the World Cup trophy for England and to add another memorable chapter to the country’s storied football history.