Roy Keane's stone-faced silence during England's goals steals the show at World Cup

Roy Keane’s deadpan refusal to react as England beat Norway 2-1 in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament, drawing widespread praise from supporters on social media.

The Manchester United legend was on punditry duty for ITV alongside Mark Pougatch, Gary Neville and Ian Wright when Jude Bellingham levelled the tie just before half-time with his fifth goal of the competition. While Neville and Wright leapt from their seats in celebration, Keane remained seated and silent. The pattern repeated itself when Bellingham struck the winner — his colleagues raised their arms, and the 54-year-old Irishman sat impassive once more.

The contrast was not lost on viewers. One post on X read: “Roy Keane’s reaction to England’s goals is truly the highlight of my World Cup,” while another supporter wrote: “I’m English and I love Roy Keane and his reactions during England games. He’s bloody brilliant.”

Norway had taken the lead through Andreas Schjelderup’s powerful strike before Bellingham’s brace turned the tie around, continuing England’s pattern of overturning deficits in the knockout rounds.

Despite the Three Lions’ resilience on their route to the semi-finals, Keane is not convinced they can go all the way. Speaking on Stick to Football, he cast doubt on England’s chances against Argentina — the reigning world champions they face on Wednesday.

“We said at the start of the tournament that players will go down, you might miss a Rice, somebody will get suspended,” Keane said. “Lads will come into the team and do a big job for you. Some of the fringe players will step in and if Rice does miss out, somebody will step in. That’s the nature of the game. I still think they’ll come up short even with Rice. They’re still short.”