Bellingham rescues England to World Cup semi-finals with extra-time brace

England secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals by beating Norway 2-1 after extra time in Miami on Friday, July 11, thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham. The Three Lions, who failed to break the deadlock during regular time, finally accelerated in extra time to reach the last four.

For 90 minutes, the two teams neutralized each other in a fiercely contested quarter-final, refereed by Frenchman Clément Turpin. It was in extra time that Bellingham took control, scoring the two goals that swung the match in favor of the Three Lions. The attacking midfielder left the field exhausted late in the match, replaced by defender Burn for the final minutes.

Norway had their chances. Erling Haaland, withdrawn before extra time due to fatigue, left his teammates to attempt a comeback. A corner from Odegaard late in the match nearly led to an equalizer, with Stones making a poor clearance before Bobb missed the target. Goalkeeper Nyland also made a remarkable double save on attempts from Saka and Spence, but it did not change the outcome.

Tension arose during extra time when a penalty appeared to be awarded to Norway, before VAR intervened: Clément Turpin ultimately ruled that Bobb had not committed a foul, overturning the initial decision and preserving England’s advantage.

Kristoffer Ajer received a yellow card late in the match for dissent, a symbol of growing Norwegian frustration at their inability to overturn the situation.

England will face Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday, July 15, for a place in the World Cup final. The two teams contest the other semi-final in the night from Friday to Saturday.