Bellingham powers England: 4 takeaways from Three Lions win over Norway and Haaland

MIAMI STADIUM – England is headed to the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the second time in eight years. On a sweltering Saturday in South Florida, where the temperature before kickoff at 5 p.m. local time topped 90 degrees, the Three Lions came back from a 1-0 deficit to eliminate upstart Norway and their attacking superhero, Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland. Two goals from England star Jude Bellingham – the second in the third minute of extra time – put the Three Lions ahead after Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring against the run of play in the first half. Bellingham canceled out Schjelderup’s strike with a dramatic equalizer just before the interval, then added the winner when Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland failed to corral the rebound of Morgan Rogers’ powerful shot. “World class,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said of Bellingham’s big night. “A world-class performance from a world-class player in very important moments – crucial moments.” Here are my four takeaways from England’s win over Norway: 1. Jude Bellingham made the difference for England Halfway through the extra 30 minutes played in Miami, a quick glance at the stats tells the story. Both teams shot 10 times. Both of them had aimed half of them at the target. Both teams had a goal called back earlier in the match – the Three Lions because they were offside, Norway after the video assistant flagged a foul by Haaland just before what looked like a potential match-winner. (VAR also denied England a penalty attempt after Bellingham’s second, which could have ended the game there and then.) Yet in a game billed as a battle between Haaland and Harry Kane — arguably the two best pure scorers on the planet — Bellingham stole the show for England’s second consecutive game. “It’s good to make an impact and help my team,” he said. After scoring twice in last weekend’s thrilling 3-2 win over co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca – known as Mexico City’s stadium during the World Cup – Bellingham once again came alive when his country needed him most. His first goal was a team play that he finished with a flash of individual brilliance, his second a clinic in anticipation, timing and execution. In a game where the margins were slim, he was the reason England traveled to Atlanta for the World Cup semi-final, while Norway returned home. “It’s his mentality that puts him at this level,” goalie Jordan Pickford said. 2. Still, hats off to Erling Haaland and Norway Never before have Norway reached a World Cup quarter-final. He didn’t even qualify for the biggest sporting event of this century before finally returning this summer. Even then – and even with Haaland leading the attack and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard running the show behind them – no one expected much from the Drillos. Norway was ranked 32nd by FIFA in January. It was the 31st edition when this World Cup started exactly a month ago. Yet, on and off the pitch, the Norwegians have been one of the best stories of this World Cup. Videos of their fans invading Times Square and performing their “Viking Row” choreography on escalators and subways in New York have endeared them to locals, from Boston, to Dallas, and here to Miami. Norway beat Senegal and Ivory Coast, then eliminated five-time champions Brazil. And none of this was a coincidence. He may have lost to England on Saturday, but he won the hearts of neutrals across America and in countries across the globe. These Vikings and their incredible supporters can and will row across the Atlantic with their heads held high. Even in defeat, on a quiet evening that ended with his substitution in extra time, Haaland left his mark. “Everyone,” Pickford said, “knows what a good player Earling is.” 3. Argentina await Kane & Co. Tuchel’s side had to wait a few hours to find out which opponent they will face in Atlanta on Wednesday, with the Three Lions set to face the winner of Saturday’s nightcap in Kansas City between Messi’s Albiceleste and Switzerland. Of course, they are the defending champions. Despite being an ocean apart, Argentina and England have a long-standing rivalry on the world stage. Diego Maradona’s famous “Goal of the Century” slalom and the infamous “Hand of God” in 1986 took place in the same quarter-final match against England. Argentina also eliminated the Three Lions in the quarter-finals in 1998 following a red card from David Beckham. Four years later, Beckham – the current co-owner of Inter Miami who was in the house on Saturday – scored a penalty that helped beat Argentina en route to the Albiceleste’s shock exit in the group stage. Tensions between the two sides are not limited to football either, as the two countries fought a 74-day war in 1982 for control of the Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina. Now, for the first time, they will face each other with a trip to the World Cup final at stake. 4. Is it finally England’s year? It’s 60 years this month since the country that invented the sport won its only World Cup. It is also the only final in which they participate. The Three Lions have also never won a European Championship, although they were losing finalists in 2021 (against Italy) and Spain (2024) during the last two Euros. Now, under German manager Tuchel, they will play for the right to return to the biggest title game there is. This is only England’s fourth trip to the semi-finals. The last two didn’t go well; Croatia eliminated the Three Lions in 2018. In 1990, they lost on penalties to eventual champions West Germany. Although the English Premier League establishes itself as the best domestic football circuit, it is as close as the country’s national team has come in the last six decades. On Wednesday in Atlanta, we’ll see they can take another step toward the top of the mountain — and bring the football home. “Now it’s just about recovering,” Tuchel said. “The next three days are of course crucial to be ready. But this victory will help a lot.”