Jude Bellingham wasn’t about to let his manager’s postgame complaints overshadow what England just pulled off.
Saturday night in the World Cup quarterfinals, England beat Norway 2-1. Bellingham scored both goals. He was the best player on the field by a wide margin. And after the game, Thomas Tuchel spent most of his press conference talking about everything his team did wrong.
“The result is fantastic, we’re in the last four, it’s amazing, but not happy with the performance,” Tuchel said. “Again, the commitment is there, but we made life very very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played — sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough — we were lucky today.”
Lucky. That word probably didn’t sit great with a guy who just single-handedly carried England past Erling Haaland’s team. When a reporter brought up Tuchel’s comments in Bellingham’s postgame interview, the Real Madrid star didn’t exactly bite his tongue.
“Yeah well, whatever, whatever,” Bellingham said. “It’s difficult out there, it’s a tough shift, all the players have put in a very tough shift, so my thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there, who put in a great shift yet again.”
The tension between a demanding coach and his star player is nothing new in tournament football. But this felt different. Bellingham wasn’t defiant or angry. He was dismissive. He basically said “I see you, coach, but I’m backing my guys.” That clip spread fast on social media after the match.
Bellingham has been on an absolute tear this World Cup. He scored twice against Mexico in the Round of 16 and followed it up with another brace against Norway. That gives him six goals so far in the tournament. For a midfielder, that’s absurd production. For a 22-year-old in his second World Cup, it’s the kind of run that builds legends.
What’s next for England after beating Norway
England hasn’t won a World Cup since 1966. That fact hangs over every knockout match like a fog. But this team keeps finding ways to advance. They’re in the semifinals for the second time in three tournaments. The last time they made it this far was 2018, when they lost to Croatia in extra time.
Waiting for them in the semis is either Argentina or Switzerland. That match is scheduled for July 15 at 3 p.m. ET. Argentina comes in as the defending champions. Switzerland has been the tournament’s quiet spoiler. Either way, England’s path to the final runs through a team that won’t be intimidated.
Bellingham, for his part, doesn’t seem bothered by any of it. Not Tuchel’s critiques. Not the pressure of a nation desperate for a trophy. He’s just scoring goals and backing his teammates. That might be exactly what England needs right now.
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