On a hot day in Miami, these two Europeans giants met for a spot in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England entered the match as favorites, but with Norway’s hot form, this was never going to be an easy match for the Three Lions. After a tough 120 minutes, England emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, led by Jude Bellingham’s two goals.
Norway met the expectations of being labelled ‘dark horses’ as they reached the quarterfinals in their first World Cup appearance since 1998. The Vikings beat Iraq, Senegal, and Ivory Coast before winning their most important match in history against Brazil in the Round of 16. For England, the true hardship began in the knockout stages. They produced a late comeback led by Harry Kane to defeat DR Congo 2–1 before facing their toughest challenge yet against co-host Mexico in the Round of 16.
The match was always going to be a tough, physical battle with England looking to stop the goal-scoring threat of Erling Haaland. With no shots on target from either side until the 35th minute, the first chance of the match came from a headed effort from Haaland that was easily saved by Pickford. With momentum shifting in their favor, Norway found the net first just a minute later. Harry Kane was caught and dispossessed in his own half, and England didn’t react quickly enough to stop Odegaard from playing the ball wide to Andreas Schjelderup. The winger took the ball around the outside and sent in what looked like a cross. The ball floated to the back post and flashed past Pickford and into the net.
England responded quickly, scoring an equalizer before the end of the first half. Anthony Gordon glided past Ryerson on the left before playing a square pass for Bellingham, arriving on the edge of the box. The England star got to the ball, drifted around Heggem, and scored a left-footed shot beneath Orjan Nyland.
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Norway were denied a second goal thanks to a foul from Erling Haaland. In the build-up to what Norway thought was their second goal, the replay clearly shows the Manchester City striker shoving his new team-mate Elliot Anderson to the ground. The referee deemed it a foul following a VAR review, and the game was level once again.
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka created several good chances for England on the wings, but the Three Lions could not secure a win in the 90 minutes, leading the match to proceed to an extra 30 minutes. However, it took just three minutes into extra time for England to take the lead. Applying pressure from the start, it was clear England were looking to find a winner and had no interest in this match going to penalties. Morgan Rogers found the ball in space and was urged by the crowd to take a strike on goal. Nyland made a save, but his attempt to catch the ball went directly to Bellingham, who scored his second goal of the night.
The biggest shock of the extra time period was Ståle Solbakken’s decision to sub off Erling Haaland with 15 minutes left in the match. While the Norwegian star did have a fairly quiet afternoon, it was surprising to see the manager sub off his team’s biggest goal-scoring threat. Norway were unable to create a true chance, and England closed the match to advance to their fourth-ever semifinals.
