England boss calls quarter-final display “sloppy” and “lucky” after Norway win

• England boss labelled the performance “sloppy” and “lucky” despite victory
• The midfielder dismissed the criticism with a blunt “Whatever”
• Tuchel said England must raise their level against Argentina
• England face defending champions Argentina in the last four

England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted his side must significantly improve despite reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, while match-winner Jude Bellingham defended the team’s performance following their dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway.

England secured a place in the last four thanks to two goals from Bellingham after Norway forced extra time in an intense quarter-final. However, Tuchel was far from satisfied with what he described as an untidy display.

“We were sloppy, we were lucky and we were not good enough in every sense,” Tuchel said after the match. “Of course I am happy we are in the semi-finals, but we know we have to play much better.”

The German coach pointed to England’s inconsistent passing, lack of control in possession and failure to manage key moments, insisting those shortcomings would be punished against stronger opposition.

“We cannot rely on individual moments forever,” Tuchel added. “If we want to win the World Cup, our overall performance has to improve.”

Bellingham, who scored both England goals, offered a contrasting view when informed of his manager’s assessment.

“Yeah, well… whatever,” the Real Madrid midfielder replied.

Bellingham defended his teammates, arguing that the conditions and the quality of Norway made the contest far more difficult than many expected.

“It was a tough shift,” he said. “Norway are a really good side with top players. Sometimes you just have to find a way to win. That’s tournament football.”

The 23-year-old also stressed the importance of maintaining confidence inside the squad as England prepares for arguably its biggest test of the tournament.

“You need a positive environment,” Bellingham said. “We’ve won a World Cup quarter-final. We should enjoy that before thinking about the next one.”

Despite his criticism, Tuchel reserved special praise for Bellingham, calling his midfielder “world-class” for once again delivering in a decisive moment. England now advances to a heavyweight semi-final against defending champions Argentina, with Tuchel acknowledging his players will need a considerably sharper performance if they hope to reach the World Cup final.

“There is no disagreement,” Tuchel said when asked about Bellingham’s response. “He’s not wrong that winning is what matters. But if we perform like that again, it will be much harder to keep progressing.”

England remains unbeaten at the tournament, but the contrasting post-match reactions highlighted the balance Tuchel is attempting to strike between celebrating results and demanding the standards he believes will be required to lift the World Cup trophy.