England Admit They Were Lucky to Eliminate Norway, Tuchel: We Must Play Better in the Semi-Finals

England secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals after coming from behind to defeat Norway 2-1 in the quarter-final match held at Miami Stadium, United States, on Sunday WIB. Despite successfully booking their place in the final four, head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted his side performed below their usual standard and were fortunate to claim the victory.

Norway had shocked England by taking the lead through Andreas Schjelderup in the 36th minute. However, The Three Lions showed tremendous fighting spirit to turn the match around. Jude Bellingham emerged as the hero of the win, scoring the equaliser during first half stoppage time before netting again in the 93rd minute. His second goal came from a rebound after Morgan Rogers' strike was parried by Norway's goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland.

This 2-1 victory confirmed England will advance to the semi-finals to face Argentina.

While satisfied with the final result, Tuchel stressed his team's performance did not deserve praise. The German coach stated England had unnecessarily complicated the match, and must make immediate improvements if they intend to progress to the final.

"Today we made things difficult for ourselves. It is a fantastic result that we qualified for the semi-finals, but I am not happy with our performance. We got lucky today. We have to play better," Tuchel stated, as quoted on the official FIFA website, 12/7/2026.

He added that reaching the semi-final stage must not make England ignore the clear weaknesses on display against Norway. For Tuchel, performance improvements are mandatory ahead of the far tougher opposition waiting in the next round.

Meanwhile, Bellingham attributed England's victory to the character and fighting spirit of every player, who refused to surrender even after falling behind.

"Character and resilience carried us through this match. Even when things were not going as planned, we gave everything we had," said the 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder.

Bellingham also expressed pride in his teammates' efforts to fight back in such a high-stakes fixture.

"I am extremely proud of this team. This is a victory for everyone," he stated.

He also conveyed appreciation to England supporters and all team staff who have provided consistent support throughout the tournament.

"This entire country shares this victory, including everyone who has stood behind us and all our team staff," Bellingham added.

England captain Harry Kane also praised his team's mentality. According to Kane, the match was evenly balanced in terms of both ball possession and created chances. However, having a player like Bellingham proved to be the difference during the game's crucial moments.

"This was a fairly balanced match when looking at possession and chances. But when you have someone like Jude who can change the game for us like he did once again today, that is obviously a huge factor," Kane said.

He stated that the spirit and determination of all the squad was the key to England's comeback and eventual win.

"It was the drive and hunger of the players that carried us through this match," Kane commented.

This dramatic late victory over Norway brings England one step closer to their dream of lifting the World Cup trophy. Nevertheless, Tuchel's acknowledgement that his side are still far from their top form serves as a warning: The Three Lions will need to deliver a far more solid performance when they face Argentina in the semi-final round.