England reach World Cup semi-final after hard-fought victory over Norway

England have secured their place in another World Cup semi-final, joining the ranks of their historic 1966, 1990, and 2018 squads.

Following an incident-filled quarter-final win in Miami, French referee Clement Turpin blew the final whistle, sending Thomas Tuchel’s exhausted squad into celebrations after they were pushed to extra-time by Norway.

While England supporters celebrated in the stands and Jude Bellingham and Jordan Pickford inadvertently clashed heads during the excitement, manager Thomas Tuchel remained critical of the performance.

“We got lucky,” Tuchel admitted after a match where Norway took the lead, missed a chance to double their advantage, had a goal disallowed, and struck the woodwork. “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It’s amazing but [I am] not happy with the performance – in every sense.”

Tuchel described the team’s play as “sloppy,” citing technical mistakes and a lack of speed. When asked what helped England advance, he credited “pure mentality.”

Bellingham, who scored in the 47th and 93rd minutes, responded to the manager’s criticism by focusing on the physical toll of the game. “It’s difficult out there, it’s a tough shift,” the midfielder said. “All the players have put in a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players out there who put in a great shift.”

England’s path to the semi-finals has been far from straightforward. Since beating Croatia 4-2 in their tournament opener, they were held by Ghana, defeated Panama 2-0, overcame a deficit against DR Congo, and edged past Mexico 3-2 while playing with 10 men.

Tuchel insisted he is fully committed to his group despite his critiques. “[There is] no disconnect from me to my team,” he said. “With my heart, I am fully in love with my players and my team, but we can play better, there are a lot of things to do better.”

‘Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like’

Players had to navigate hot and humid Miami conditions against a strong Norway side led by Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, and Alexander Sorloth.

“Maybe he [Tuchel] doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth,” Bellingham noted, marking his sixth goal of the World Cup. “They’re not an easy team to play against. I can’t speak highly enough of the lads. You can’t win every game popping the ball and making 1,000 passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that today.”

Former England captain Alan Shearer praised Tuchel’s honesty. “You have to give him [Tuchel] credit for doing it – he was having none of that,” Shearer told BBC Sport.

Wayne Rooney also backed the manager, noting that England’s character helped them overcome injuries to Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice. “The character of the players has got them through that game because for large parts of that game Norway were the better team,” Rooney added.

‘I expect England to start semi-final differently’

England have frequently relied on individual brilliance, such as the efforts of Bellingham and Harry Kane, to overcome deficits. Looking ahead to the semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta, pundits believe England must shift their approach.

“When Tuchel speaks about mentality, [he is talking about] the way they found a way to get back into the game,” Shearer said. “But they are made of tough stuff. They have proven it once again by getting to the semi-final.”

Former defender Matt Upson expects a tactical change for the next round. “I expect England to start the semi-final with a different tempo and different mindset,” Upson said. “I understand [Tuchel’s] assessment – we can all see that England can do that a lot better.”