Hey Jude! Bellingham brace gives England edge in extra time battle with Norway

Erling Haaland and Harry Kane hardly got a sniff of the target, but the quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Norway and England was engaging nevertheless, and could not be decided in 90 minutes.

But soon after the extra time was activated at the Miami Stadium, Jude Bellingham scored his second of the match to put England 2-1 up. Orjan Nyland spilt an effort from range, and Bellingham did not need an invitation to pounce in the 93rd minute.

Haaland had been guilty of committing a foul in the build-up to a second Norway goal in the 55th minute that Torbjorn Heggem turned in.

Andreas Schjelderup had scored an outlandish goal to give Norway a shock lead in the 36th minute before Bellingham equalised shortly before half-time.

For his first, Bellingham had fired in with his left from a narrow angle. It was England’s first real effort on target as skipper Harry Kane had shot one into the stands from a freekick and was flagged offside shortly before the half-time whistle.

Norway drew first blood, not through their talisman, Haaland, but with the left boot of winger Schjelderup, who had been preferred on the left wing in place of Antonio Nusa. Schjelderup cracked the whip from an acute angle that appeared to swing away from Jordan Pickford’s goal, only to rattle the far post and be engulfed by a welcoming net.

Both sides hardly had clear-cut chances until the spectacular opener. Haaland had headed down a Ryerson cross for Pickford to collect a few minutes after his eyes lit up to a loose ball from his clubmate John Stones.

In the second half, Haaland ran out of patience; at times dropping deep to win back possession. Norway’s game plan became more direct since Heggem’s goal was ruled out, perhaps giving them the realisation that the English were not untouchable. Martin Odegaard dragged the Englishmen out wide, freeing up his fellow midfielders, Patrick Berg and Sander Berge. The playmaker hardly put a foot wrong, though he was required to defend more often than he would have liked.

Kristoffer Ajer came close, but his glancing header only hit the post. The introduction of Nusa and Oscar Bobb infused a sense of urgency, pinning the English full-backs to their half and keeping the game even.

Thomas Tuchel could not influence the game with his substitutions, as his counterpart, Stale Solbakken, succeeded. Neither Reece James nor Eberechi Eze fit into the plot. To nullify the impact Bobb had in Norway's attack, Tuchel had to reinforce his left side with Djed Spence.

Norway are aiming for a maiden semifinal, while England are hoping to get closer to ending their 60-year wait for a second World Cup. The winner of the match will play either Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinal.

Haaland and Kane are in the Golden Boot race with seven and six goals each, while Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappe are in front with eight goals apiece. The winner will play either Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinal.