Bellingham Ignites Stunning Comeback as England Stun Norway in Thrilling Fightback

Another stunning brace from Jude Bellingham propelled England to a dramatic comeback victory over Norway 2–1 after extra time, clinching their spot in the 2026 World Cup semifinals on Saturday.

The match truly came alive after the first hydration break, when Norway nudged its low block forward and, in one of its earliest attacking moments, Andreas Schjelderup produced an absolute thunderbolt from the left wing, with his strike clipping the post before ricocheting into the net to give Norway the lead after 36 minutes.

England were stung but fought their way back into the contest through another sublime run and finish from Jude Bellingham, netting his fifth goal of the World Cup.

Norway believed they had restored their advantage early in the second half via Torbjørn Heggem from a corner, but following a brief VAR review, the goal was ruled out as Erling Haaland had pushed Elliot Anderson prior to the corner being delivered.

Both teams began showing obvious signs of fatigue as the clock wound down. The match headed into extra time and a penalty shootout appeared to be looming, but Bellingham had different plans.

Morgan Rogers found space and unleashed a long-range effort. It looked like a straightforward save for goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, but much like Belgium's Senne Lammens the day before, Nyland fumbled the shot and left the rebound gift-wrapped for a surging Bellingham to tap home England's winner, completing his second consecutive brace in the 93rd minute.

Norway pressed until the final whistle but it wasn't enough for the tournament's dark horses as England held firm. The Three Lions once again demonstrated their trademark resilience and have now reached the World Cup semifinals for the fourth time in their history. The winner of Argentina vs. Switzerland will face England in Atlanta next Wednesday.

The Moment That Changed The Game

England appeared to be on the brink of falling apart late in the first half following Schjelderup's opener. Pickford looked shaky with his distribution and Norway could have easily doubled their lead had Alexander Sørloth squared the ball to Haaland with only John Stones to beat.

The halftime whistle couldn't arrive soon enough for the Three Lions, until the game was turned on its head by a moment of Bellingham brilliance.

Deep into stoppage time, England finally managed to catch Norway's defensive shape out of position, and Gordon picked out a surging Bellingham on the edge of the box. A sublime first touch allowed the Real Madrid star to maintain his stride as he carried the ball past Torbjørn Heggem before firing a thunderous effort past Nyland to restore parity just as England looked at their lowest ebb.

Such was the momentum shift from the goal that the Three Lions nearly added a second before the interval, but Harry Kane's delightful chip was ruled out for offside. Nevertheless, rather than heading into the break rattled, Tuchel's side more than weathered the storm.

The match could have unfolded very differently had England not found the equalizer before the break—and crucially before fatigue set in. Even as Norway pressed the Three Lions in the second half, it was Bellingham who emerged once more in extra time to seal the victory.

England Player Ratings vs. Norway (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Jordan Pickford—6.5: It's debatable whether he could have done anything about Schjelderup's rocket, but his dropping of his arm as though he expected the ball to miss was somewhat telling. He appeared visibly nervy from that point on, with a poor attempt to gather a shot sparking a series of corners during which Norway netted a second that was ultimately disallowed.

RB: Ezri Konsa—7.7: Didn't track Schjelderup closely enough, though few could have anticipated the winger attempting his luck from that particular angle. Beyond that incident, he was excellent operating outside his preferred position.

CB: John Stones—7.3: His passing was adequate, but he struggled to inspire confidence when dealing with Norway's physical strikers. He eventually settled and was solid during the closing stages.

CB: Marc Guéhi—6.8: Tasked with the difficult job of keeping Haaland quiet, he more than held his own against his club teammate. On a couple of notable occasions he used his physicality to win duels against the dangerous striker around the midfield area.

LB: Nico O'Reilly—7.6: Couldn't make a significant impact going forward but was impeccable in his defensive work. He covered enormous ground and left the pitch visibly drained after Oscar Bobb began causing problems down his side.

CM: Declan Rice—6.7: Remained far more disciplined in a deeper midfield role—possibly due to his ongoing fitness concerns—which meant Anderson was the one breaking forward to find pockets of space between the lines. His set-piece delivery was uncharacteristically below par.

CM: Elliot Anderson—7.6: Consistently involved in the play and was among the few players willing to attempt passes through Norway's tight defensive structure.

RW: Noni Madueke—6.6: Beat his man on several occasions but his final ball from wide areas was inconsistent more often than not. Substituted at halftime.

AM: Jude Bellingham—9.1: Continues to prove he is simply the most clutch player around. When England were struggling, he emerged once more with a trademark run into the box to level things right before the break. His extraordinary instinct for goal then proved decisive in extra time, pouncing on a rebound to score his sixth of the tournament and hand England the win.

LW: Anthony Gordon—7.5: Despite mixed results when attempting to beat his man, he looked like the key to unlocking Norway's defense. The first time he delivered a low cross to an arriving teammate, it directly led to Bellingham's equalizer. He remained a constant threat until he was withdrawn clearly exhausted.

ST: Harry Kane—6.0: Barely saw the ball—let alone a clear chance—early on, and was then dispossessed in the buildup to Norway's opener, with his appeals for a foul going unheeded. He was largely peripheral after the break.

SUB: Eberechi Eze (46' for Rice)—6.8: Injected some energy into England's attack upon his introduction, but ultimately failed to produce any meaningful end product.

SUB: Bukayo Saka (46' for Madueke)—7.5: Came close to producing a moment of brilliance with a stunning run down the flank late on, dribbling past his marker and whipping in a dangerous low cross that no England forward could convert.

SUB: Reece James (71' for Gordon)—6.5: Had an anxious moment early in his appearance but grew into the game. Once he dropped into his natural right-back role, he effectively nullified the threat of the dangerous Antonio Nusa.

SUB: Djed Spence (87' for O'Reilly)—7.0: Believed he had won a penalty after a superb burst forward, but VAR overturned the original decision. Dependable defensively.

SUB: Morgan Rogers (89' for Konza)—6.3: Had the confidence to shoot from range and his ambitious effort led to Nyland spilling the ball, allowing Bellingham to slot home the match-winner.

SUB: Dan Burn (111' for Bellingham)—N/A

Subs not used: Dean Henderson (GK), James Trafford (GK), Trevoh Chalobah, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain England's Gritty Win