Jude Bellingham Leads England to World Cup Semifinals Despite Thomas Tuchel’s Criticism

England has advanced to the World Cup semifinals following a 2-1 victory over Norway, secured by two heroic goals from star midfielder Jude Bellingham. Despite the celebration, England manager Thomas Tuchel focused on the team’s shortcomings, describing the result as a “lucky” win and openly criticizing the squad’s “sloppy” tactics.

When reporters asked about the manager’s comments after the match, Bellingham dismissed the critique. “Yeah, well, whatever,” Bellingham said. “It’s difficult out there… All of the players have put in a very tough shift.”

During a postgame interview on Fox Sports, Tuchel openly addressed the team’s flaws.

“The commitment is there, but we made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played,” Tuchel said. “Sloppy, lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.

“We will get better. We need to get better,” he continued. “Now it’s celebration, and now it’s taking it all in. We have three days, we need everything. We need (a) better performance.”

Bellingham remained unmoved by the assessment. While the 23-year-old midfielder acknowledged that Tuchel might have expected more tactical precision, he suggested the manager did not fully grasp the challenges of the match.

“Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, (Martin) Ødegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sørloth. That’s not an easy team to play against,” Bellingham said, via DAZN Football. “I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment, we should continue that going into the final four. I can’t speak highly enough of the lads,” he continued.

Bellingham scored both of England’s goals, netting an equalizer shortly before halftime and adding the decisive goal early in extra time.

Tuchel, an experienced coach who previously managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, took over as England head coach in 2025. He succeeded Gareth Southgate, who resigned after the team’s loss to Spain in the 2024 Euro finals.

Since Tuchel’s arrival, England has performed well, winning their group and defeating DR Congo, Mexico, and now Norway to reach the semifinals. The squad aims to reach their first World Cup final since winning their only title in 1966.

England continues its campaign on Wednesday, facing the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland match in Atlanta for a spot in the final.