England Beats Norway in Extra Time to Reach World Cup Semifinals

England Advances to 2026 World Cup Semifinals After Thrilling Victory Over Norway

Tempatdonasi.com – The English national squad has officially booked their place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a hard-fought 2-1 triumph against Norway. The quarterfinal clash took place at Miami Stadium in the United States on Sunday morning, July 12, 2026, under bright skies that witnessed an enthralling contest stretching into extra time.

A Decisive Moment from Bellingham

Jude Bellingham once again proved to be the match-winner for The Three Lions, netting the crucial goal in the 93rd minute as extra time got underway. The 23-year-old midfielder capitalized on a rebound situation inside the penalty area to send the ball past Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, securing what would ultimately be the winning margin for England.

Norway had opened the scoring earlier in the match during the 36th minute. Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty box after receiving a well-timed pass from Martin Odegaard. The goal underwent a thorough Video Assistant Referee review before being officially confirmed by referee Clement Turpin, adding to the drama of the encounter.

England’s Response Before Halftime

The English side responded just before the break. In the second minute of first-half injury time, Anthony Gordon delivered a penetrating pass that found Bellingham, who wasted no time in firing a shot at the Norwegian goal to bring the scores level at 1-1.

Harry Kane had actually scored against Norway at the conclusion of the first half, but his effort was ruled out after the officials determined he was in an offside position. This disallowed goal left England searching for an equalizer as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

Norway’s Second Disallowed Goal

The visitors threatened once more in the second half. Torbjorn Lysaker Heggem appeared to score in the 55th minute following a rebound, but the goal was subsequently disallowed after a VAR review revealed a foul had occurred during the build-up to the goal.

The match remained fiercely competitive through the final minutes of normal time. Both sides created numerous chances, with Norway’s Kristoffer Ajer coming close when his header struck the goalpost in the 76th minute.

Tactical Changes and Extra Time Drama

England manager Thomas Tuchel introduced several fresh legs to boost his team’s attacking threat. The substitutions included Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Reece James, Djed Spence, and Morgan Rogers, all of whom were brought on to add pace and creativity to the English attack.

The 1-1 stalemate persisted until the 90-minute mark, forcing the contest into extra time. Just two minutes into the additional period, England seized the initiative. Harry Kane’s header was saved by Nyland, and the loose ball fell perfectly to Bellingham. The Real Madrid midfielder struck the ball with ease to restore England’s lead at 2-1.

England were awarded a penalty in the 99th minute when Oscar Bobb was judged to have fouled an opponent inside the penalty area. However, this decision was overturned following a review of the VAR footage, denying the English side a potential third goal.

Nyland’s Heroics and Haaland’s Exit

Orjan Nyland continued to be a standout performer, making two crucial saves in the latter stages of extra time to deny both Djed Spence and Bukayo Saka. Meanwhile, Norway suffered a blow when Erling Haaland was substituted early in the additional time, reducing their attacking options in the closing moments.

When the final whistle sounded, the scoreboard read 2-1 to England. The victory propelled Thomas Tuchel’s squad into the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, while Norway’s campaign came to a disappointing conclusion in the quarterfinals.

Read: World Cup Preview: England’s Biggest Test Yet Is Stopping Erling Haaland

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