Bellingham double sends England to semis, Tuchel fumes
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- England beat Norway 2-1 in extra time in Miami, with Jude Bellingham scoring in the 47th and 93rd minutes to set up a semi-final against Argentina back in Atlanta.
- Thomas Tuchel branded his side's display 'sloppy,' 'not fast enough' and 'not repetitive enough,' saying England 'got lucky' and advanced only on 'pure mentality.'
- Jude Bellingham pushed back, suggesting Tuchel 'doesn't know what it's like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth' and insisted 'sometimes you have to win dirty.'
- Norway took the lead, missed a clear chance to make it 2-0, had a goal disallowed and also struck the bar — a quarter-final Tuchel conceded they largely controlled.
- Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Matt Upson backed Tuchel's bluntness, with Rooney calling him 'spot on in terms of the mentality' and Upson saying 'Norway were going to win this game' with 25 minutes of normal time remaining.
- The gruelling contest lasted 122 minutes in hot, humid conditions, leaving Ezri Konsa injured and forcing Declan Rice off at the start of the second half after a pre-game injury doubt.
Why it matters: The public friction between Tuchel and Bellingham comes at a critical moment — England have reached their first World Cup semi-final since 2018 but now face Argentina with question marks over their form. Tuchel's refusal to soften his verdict, applauded by Shearer, Rooney and Upson, signals a reset of standards even as the results keep coming, while Bellingham's pushback underlines the physical toll his team-mates absorbed.
