England advanced to the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday after a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the quarter-final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring for Norway in the 36th minute. The midfielder finished a swift counterattack to give his side a deserved lead against a disjointed England.
Norway, appearing in their first World Cup quarter-final in decades, controlled much of the first half and tested goalkeeper Jordan Pickford repeatedly.
England responded just before the interval. Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid midfielder, equalized in the second minute of stoppage time. He powered home a header from a set-piece delivery to send the match into the break level at 1-1.
The second half brought drama. Norway thought they had regained the lead early when another player struck, but VAR disallowed the goal for a foul by Erling Haaland in the build-up.
England also had penalty claims waved away after review. Both teams pushed forward in the heat, but neither could break the deadlock before full time.
Extra time began with immediate impact. In the third minute, Morgan Rogers unleashed a long range effort. Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland spilled the shot, and Bellingham pounced on the rebound to slot home the winner. England held firm despite late Norwegian pressure to secure the 2-1 result.
Manager Thomas Tuchel praised his team’s resilience after the match. “The players showed character,” he said.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken expressed pride in his side’s run. “We gave everything,” Solbakken stated. “This tournament showed what Norwegian football can achieve.”
England will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals. The Three Lions reached the last four for the fourth time in their history. Norway’s campaign ends after a memorable quarter-final appearance.
