Norway 1-2 England: Bellingham Brace Sends Three Lions Into Semi-Finals

Result

Norway 1-2 England. Jude Bellingham scored twice, including a 93rd-minute extra-time winner, as England came from behind to beat Norway at Hard Rock Stadium and reach their first World Cup semi-final since 2018.

Andreas Schjelderup had given Norway the lead in the 36th minute, firing a shot off the right post and past Jordan Pickford. It was the Benfica winger's first goal of the tournament, on only his second start. England found an equaliser in first-half stoppage time when Bellingham turned in from close range after Elliot Anderson had kept a move alive. Norway protested that an aerial camera cable had been struck by a goal kick in the build-up, but play was not stopped and the goal stood.

Norway thought they had regained the lead in the 56th minute when Torbjorn Heggem turned in a rebound from a corner, but VAR ruled that Erling Haaland had committed a foul in the box and the goal was disallowed. With the scores level at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Morgan Rogers saw his shot parried early in extra time and Bellingham pounced on the rebound to send England through.

Pool impact

England have become the tournament's heart-attack pick for Last Man Standing players. Three knockout wins, every one by a single goal, and now a brace from Bellingham to drag them across the line against a Norway side that had Haaland, seven goals, and genuine belief. If you backed England, you survived again. If you face the semi-final with England still in your bank, you are staring at Argentina with a side that keeps finding ways to win by the narrowest margin. The question for pool players is whether England's luck and late goals hold against the defending champions.

For Score Predictor, 2-1 England was the correct call. The three-goal total matched England's previous knockout matches, and the exact scoreline held through extra time. Norway scoring first ruled out clean-sheet predictions, but England advancing meant those who picked the Three Lions to go through got the result right.

Pre-match forecasts

England entered as narrow favourites, but Norway's run to a first-ever World Cup quarter-final and Haaland's seven goals made this feel like a genuine trap. The expectation of a close game held true, and the extra-time finish reflected how evenly matched the two sides were. Norway were not here to make up the numbers, and for long stretches they looked the more dangerous side.

Standout stats

Bellingham's brace takes him to six goals for the tournament, tied with Harry Kane and two behind Golden Boot leaders Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Haaland was held without a goal for the first time at this World Cup and was substituted in extra time. England have now won all three knockout matches by a one-goal margin. Norway exit at the quarter-final stage, their deepest ever World Cup run.

What comes next

England face Argentina in the semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. It is England's first appearance in the last four since 2018 and a meeting with the defending champions who also needed extra time to see off Switzerland. The winner faces either France or Spain in the final.

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