Jude Bellingham once again showed up when England needed him most. The Real Madrid footballer scored both goals in the 2-1 victory against Norway and qualified his team for the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup.
Norway took the lead with a goal from Andreas Schjelderup, but Bellingham equalized before halftime. The second goal came in extra time, after an error by the Norwegian goalkeeper that the midfielder took advantage of to complete the comeback.
The record only surpassed by Pelé
Bellingham was 23 years and 12 days old when he scored against Norway. With that goal, he became the second youngest player to score in two consecutive World Cup knockout matches.
Only Pelé managed to do it at a younger age. The Brazilian set the record during the 1958 World Cup when he was 17 years old. The mark reinforces Bellingham's impact in big games. The Englishman had already scored in the previous round and did so again with two goals in the quarterfinals.
Six goals in the 2026 World Cup
The brace brings Bellingham's tally in the tournament to six. The midfielder thus equals Harry Kane as England's top scorer in this edition and is fully in contention for the Golden Boot.
The six goals, without penalty kicks, also allow him to match Gary Lineker's best mark for an English player in a major tournament without counting goals from the penalty spot.
His performance is not limited to the penalty area. Bellingham held the midfield for 120 minutes, pressed Norway's build-up play, and took offensive responsibility when England was going through its worst moments.
Tuchel once again praises Bellingham
Thomas Tuchel summarized the performance with a direct phrase: "World class." The coach highlighted the player's ability to decide matches and maintain his influence even when the team is not playing at its best.
England struggled for much of the match. Norway had chances to extend their lead and saw a goal disallowed after VAR review, but the English held on until extra time.
England will face Argentina
The victory places England in their fourth semifinal in the last five major tournaments. Their next opponent will be Argentina, who eliminated Switzerland in the other quarterfinal match.
The match will pit two world champions against each other and will put Bellingham up against one of the most demanding defenses in the tournament. England will seek to reach their first World Cup final since 1966.