World Cup: England beat Norway – 5 Live Reaction

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0:30at Whole Foods Market. If you are currently overpaying on software to run your business, remember this number, 10 ,000. That's the number of new businesses that join Odoo per month. Join Odoo today at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. At the People World Cup 2026, the Football Daily Podcasts. With Mark Chapman. We're just waiting for the whistle now. and there it is England fans celebrate in Miami England players drop to their knees it's been another huge effort they were 1-0 down to Norway but England largely thanks to Jude Bellingham and his two goals England have won it and England will play in a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday night.

1:29England into a World Cup semi-final for only the fourth time. 1966, 1990, 2018, and now under Thomas Tuchel in 2026. Norway 1, England 2 after extra time, and let me tell you, there are some shattered bodies down there in both white England shirts and red Norway shirts. Paul Robinson where do you start with that they put us through the mill again not the most vintage of performances from England but again it's a job done I can't underplay the conditions what they've had to play in today, the game at times was slow, it was pedestrian like but they had a game plan, he changed it for my liking too much within the game he tinkered with different players in different positions but they stuck at it and when you've got somebody like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane in your team you've got big game players this is exactly why Thomas Tuchel has managed Jude Bellingham the way he has to bring him to the tournament because he knows that England with Jude Bellingham are a better team can England cope without him?

2:38yes they can are they a better team with him? absolutely for big moments like that those two goals once again from a big big game player just looking now the goalkeeper the Norwegian goalkeeper is in floods of tears after his mistake for the goal yeah tears for Norway Neyland, who couldn't hold the Rodgers shot, parried it, and Bellingham scored, Jordan Pickford consoles him. Tears for Norway, but what a World Cup they've had. Their best, their best World Cup, reaching a quarter-final. But Norway out, and England through, and that extra experience, we talked about it, talked about it with Thomas Tuchel last night, and this is...

3:17this is going to be England's fourth semi-final at the last five World Cup and European Championship tournament finals. And that's where experience counts. And it's finished here, Norway 1, England 2. And England fans celebrate. They'll be planning Atlanta now against either Argentina or Switzerland. Mark Chapman's here with us in the stadium. Come on to England in a moment, but just the life of a goalkeeper, Paul Robison, because Neyland is stood in the middle of that pitch, inconsolable, two or three members of the Norwegian team and backroom staff holding him up as he sobs. And yet, they wouldn't have even been here had he not done what he did against Brazil.

4:09Exactly, the life of a goalkeeper. And it's a very, very lonely place. And that type of thing won't go away. That will stay with him forever. He will always remember that and how it affects your confidence. I had an incident for England a long time ago against Croatia, that affected my confidence in the way I played for the next two or three years. Something like that, what that can mentally do to a person, is going to have to be very strong to come back from a mistake like that. Cameras now focus on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham embracing in the centre circle, and now Harry Kane on his own is walking backwards through the centre circle and telling the England team who had gone over there, John Stones currently at the moment in deep conversation with Erling Haaland, but the England players and the backroom staff are now being urged by Harry Kane to walk towards the white wall of fans away to our right and they were starting in Wonderwall.

5:06John Stones and Erling Haaland finish in a huge embrace as Stones is the last member of that England contingent to head towards the England fans. Thomas Tuchel won't let him go just yet. Shakes his hand and gives him a big hug as well. Matt Upson with us back in the UK. Paul Robertson staying alongside us here in Miami as John Murray goes to get reaction from the England camp. It was a battle, Matt, not for the first time in this World Cup. No, absolutely not, Chappers. and it was a battle that could have gone either way and we had discussions at the end of 90 minutes, didn't we, on how it was feeling.

5:47Norway looked a smoother outfit for me at that point, last 15, 20 minutes of normal time and then extra time started. England had a bit more about him, it felt. I thought they got a bit more into the rhythm, started on top and then the shot started raining in and a mistake has been the difference in the game. a mistake and the alertness of a player, Drew Bellingham, who is onto that ball in a flash. He's moving before that shot's gone in. He just anticipated it. It's just top-class anticipation of a mistake and brilliance again from Bellingham, who I thought was excellent. Yeah, I mean, and it goes back to what we were saying at half-time.

6:35You know, shoot from outside the box. is exactly how Spain got their winner against Belgium. Yeah, absolutely. And also people are tired. You know, you get into that part of the game, mistakes start to happen. It's not the physical tiredness that kills you. When you start to feel tired, it's the mental capacity to not make a mistake, to stay tuned in, to do the right things. And it just wasn't possible. And you had a player in Bellingham who was the exact opposite. He was razor sharp, anticipation was high, he smelt the situation. and it's been a difference for England, and we've said it a few times, haven't we, already, this tournament, but it is how England are going about it, and it's working.

7:18It is, and they stay in front of those fans there, down there at the moment, as Wonderwall blares out, and as Paul, you were saying to Johnny Coates, we probably think he's probably the biggest group of England fans at a Games yet. Yeah, absolutely, you can see the contingency that's come over here to Miami, there's obviously a nucleus that will follow England here, there and everywhere and go to every single game, but you do actually get the feeling here in Miami there's a lot more English, whether it's the ones that live here or we've had more descend on us, but there certainly is that the crowd is increasing from an England point of view.

7:52I felt something, do you feel something hit you then? No, it wasn't me. I felt some water hit me and I'm thinking I'm under a roof, so I can't remember what that could be unless somebody's thrown something from the back of the stand what was what was I suppose interesting Matt as well just as they serenade Jude Bellingham with Hey Jude and Bellingham looks towards where his friends and family are in the England friends and family contingently blew them a kiss as he was substituted what was interesting I thought in that second half was and we constantly talk about this England midfield and the balance of it but when they don't have Rice in there alongside Anderson there is a vulnerability to them isn't there Matt?

8:35Yeah definitely you know you can't replace the defensive instinct that Declan Rice has to fill in drop back, run back, be in the right position to stop the tax England defensively are a far better team when he's in it I mean I thought Anderson was great to be honest his passing was radar kind of accuracy today, long passes drilled passes I thought he played very, very well, Anderson, but when they're at full tilt together, they're such a good, solid unit, and hopefully Declan will be able to recover. It was a nightmare game for him, really, wasn't it? If you've had that kind of issue in the week, and then you've got to play in those conditions where you've already lost a lot of sweat, and you're trying to recover all of that goodness into your body, to then go and play in that game there was a big ask for Declan.

9:29Yeah, and again, we keep reiterating, because there will be interesting discussions about the tempo of the team and how they played at times, it is still swelteringly humid here, there are beads of sweat on my forehead, they're on your forehead as well, Paul Robertson, it is still, as we are approaching 5-8 in the evening, boiling hot. It's been very, very uncomfortable for the England players to play in this today, and they have been lucky. We spoke about the conditions where they've played outdoors previously. It's been very much like conditions at home. It's poured with rain and the temperature's been cool.

10:04This is the biggest test that they've had, both physically and condition-wise, I would say. And going this long into a game as well, it's not going to have helped. We saw Declan Rice come off at half-time. The fatigue was clear for all to see. And as you say, it's not comfortable to just sit in. So they've put in a real shift today of that England team. Yes, it's not been pretty, it's not been fluid at times. but those boys will need a good couple of days to recover now. We can hear now from Thomas Tuchel and his immediate reaction post-match. Well, you've talked about your team's suffering before.

10:36Today, how do you sum up what the team have found? I didn't talk about suffering. I talked about... No, I never talked about suffering. We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic. We're in the last four. It's amazing, but I'm not happy with the performance. In what sense? in every sense because 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 was that the occasion getting to the players no no it's just a mentality thing no it's no mentality mentality if you're not happy this is your mentality how can you ask about mentality now this is pure mentality it's not about no i mean when the when the players had the problem was that the mentality what was what was there's no mentality problem this is pure mentality this is pure mentality you can bottle it up and sell it this is yeah so why is the problem for mentality it's the quality of our games that's it it's It has nothing to do with mentality.

11:47What about in terms of the players who came in then? The adjustments you made? Very good. Rhys James. You've backed Rhys James a lot throughout your career. Rhys James was excellent. Rhys today. Morgan Rogers was fantastic today. Epps grew into the game. Chad grew into the game. So full credit to them. But overall we got lucky today. And it is about the squad though. You said it would be about the squad. Yeah, but it's also a bit about quality. We need to play better. OK, what about Jude Bellingham and his quality? Enough said. He does it every single match, world class. And how do you sum up now what your team need to find if you're not happy today for a semi-final?

12:29You are in a World Cup semi-final. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We will get better. We will get better. We need to get better. Now it's a celebration. And now it's taking it all in. We have three days. We need everything. We need better performance. Thomas Tuchel there with ITV's Gabriel. Clark at the end of the game that was prickly wasn't it sometimes sometimes sometimes it's bored I don't know imagine someone's just turned the radio on having having not listened to the game or watch the game I'm not quite sure why they'd do that at this precise moment they'd be going well have England won or not because that was very prickly just just drop John a quick whatsapp to tell him not to ask if there is a mentality issue with the players do it the other way and go I get the impression he'd be quite keen to talk about mentality John Ask him about mentality of the team.

13:18He clearly wasn't happy with the technical side of the game. And I thought the first 25 minutes up to the first water break, we were very smooth and in control. And then it fell apart a bit that first half. We made some funny decisions with the ball, turning it over too many times in and around our own box and outside the box and stuff like that. It would infuriate him because he knows at this level there are no margins for error and I kind of agree with him that we got away with it it just felt I don't know how it came across it just felt like probably 20 minutes 25 minutes before the end of the 90 minutes I thought Norway are going to win this game and that's where it's going to go and we got away with it I think, do you not think Matt if we were on Norwegian radio now we would be talking about the goal that they had disallowed.

14:16Yeah. Which I still think is soft. I think it's soft. You know, there are now certain reports going it was Neyland's goal kick that hit the camera wire and landed at the feet of Elliot Anderson. There would be certain things that if we were on Norwegian radio, we would be highlighting. Yeah, of course. You really would. it was that tight a game and I thought they hit the crossbar with the header from Eier and then great from Concer just to smash into the back of Sander Berg and stop him heading the ball and actually wins it himself really gets us off the hook and I can see and I thought it was a really honest assessment from Thomas Tuchel to say we got lucky the one thing that is getting this team through is their mentality which is why he was so rage with Gabriel's line of questioning in terms of what the problem was.

15:12He clearly doesn't think it's a mentality one. It's more about how we're playing, decisions on the pitch, managing the game, technical side of the game as well, all the things that the players naturally have. And I think he wants more from them in that sense, clearly. Or he's going to need more from them. Mentality, Paul Robinson and Jude Bellingham. I mean, that's the other thing that's getting them through. I don't think you can question the team's mentality and I think that's why he was prickly. You look at the performance that they had in Mexico and you look at the way that they dug in and held on in that game and they've done exactly the same again here today.

15:47They've gone to a back five and they've dug in. That team, you cannot question the mentality of it but the quality of it and the changes that he's made and the different personnel in different positions. I still don't think he knows his strongest XI. I think he's still chopping and changes. do you think he's asking a lot of the team do you think he's asking a lot of the team Robbo with the changes that he's making do you think his expectations are probably higher for the performance and maybe what it should be with all those changes yeah and I think the amount of changes in game you know as well as I do it's hard to get any type of rhythm and fluidity when you're constantly changing personnel and positions the Rhys James one was a really strange one for me I mean he came on and played midfield and then he went to right back but he's got Kobe Maynou on the bench who's not played a minute in this World Cup yet he's got players and he's made changes listen, we can't criticise that this is what he's been brought in for and he's doing exactly that but I just don't think the amount of changes that he makes helps England during the game as in get into any kind of rhythm and today it looked like they were just searching for answers he tried different personnel in different positions they found the answer eventually because they had Jude Bellingham who's got that piece of genius, he's got that piece of skill but as a game at times they were outplayed in the game How many different areas do you think he is searching for then?

17:06Sorry, how many different positions do you think he still has a question mark over? Would it be at least one fullback? One fullback and two wide players And both wide players And both wide players, yeah I think the areas that he's changed obviously we've got the injury problems at right back with Rhys James coming back into the side today you would expect that he's going to be fit and available for the semi-final so does then Konza go back into the centre of defence but actually the spine of his team with Pickford, Konza, Anderson, Rice, Bellingham, Kane that spine doesn't change and he won't go away from that it's putting the meat on the bones in and around that spine and those areas are one of the full-back areas and both wide players He's got an interesting decision with Stones and Konza, hasn't he?

17:49I don't know if Konza, because I thought Stones came in today and was very good So, you know, towards the end of the game, so assured, he was great in the air, really punched a few headers out, didn't put a foot wrong, really, John Stone. So I think that's a big call to make for the semi-final. And he was good on the ball as well. And I think that's, having spoken to Thomas Tuchel, and we know what he likes in certain areas, we know that he likes John Stone's playing because he helps England play out from the back. So, I mean, but Conta has been an ever-present in this back four in this World Cup.

18:22In fact, the only member of the England defence who's been ever present in that back four. So if he wanted Stones, there's every likelihood he would keep Contra right back then, Matt. He might do. He might do. But I've got a feeling that Rhys James is going to start at right back. I'd be pretty sure that if he's come through this OK, in my mind, Thomas Tuchel would want to start him at right back. And then I think he's going to have to have a decision between Stones and Contra. And such as this World Cup has been, Chappas, with this England team, you could have a player like Consu who's not missed a minute that all of a sudden misses out on the semi-final.

19:00He's not done anything wrong. He's done really well. I'm just going to go down to the tunnel area. John Murray is there and ready to talk to members of the England camp when they come his way. Yeah, still no sign of them just yet. I guess they're still talking this over and discussing it in the dressing room right now. I can tell you though, Mark, I had another incident on the way down here to the tunnel in that I reached a point where I was about 50 yards away from the interview room and a woman stepped in front of me and said, stop, you cannot go any further. And I said, but I'm going to the end.

19:34She said, you cannot go any further. So I stopped. And the next thing that happened, the Beckham entourage swept through. and once they were all through and away off to their Saturday night in Miami then I was allowed to continue on my way I don't know what they thought I was going to do to them or whatever but anyway I left them alone and allowed them to pass and now I'm ready to do the interviews Maybe they thought that they would mob you and were just protecting you for your own safety Well, that's entirely possible unlikely but possible OK, just a little tip for you. I don't know if you've heard.

20:14Don't ask Thomas Tuchel about mentality. He got quite angry about it. I've been tipped the wink about that, yeah. Oh, have you had discipline? Oh, Shane. Oh, you have so many people to help you out, don't you? And England now will go back, Paul, to indoors and the air conditioning, and we will see what difference that may make after two gruelling matches. Yeah, I think we'll see an England team play at a different tempo. I mean, today and the latter stages of the Mexico game were almost played at a pedestrian pace at times when the team was in possession and they managed their minutes. You can see the way that they play their way through a game.

20:57The tempo today, you can see Thomas Tuchel's frustration at certain things that his side didn't do. But you can't say it enough times, it's very, very difficult to play in these conditions. The air conditioning of Atlanta and the pitch looks to be holding up there as well. It's very, very favourable for England to play there. It will make a big difference because arguably as well, Matt, England's best 45 minutes of the tournament, which was the second half against Croatia, when you're looking from a football perspective as opposed to the rearguard character perspective, which was obviously the Azteca.

21:31The mentality. Yeah, the mentality. The best 40... I do hope he just puts one in there. just the 45 minutes of um that second half against Grayshawn was their best football of this tournament it was it was bright it had a bit of spark to it it had energy um i mean i'm assuming today is has been the toughest conditions harder than mexico with the altitude you think it was harder to play there today with the humidity than what it was in mexico city um And so, you know, you put those two games back to back, it's going to take a fair bit of recovery. It's a short turnaround, but I'm sure he's going to get after the team.

22:17I mean, he didn't sound particularly pleased with a few aspects of the game. So I expect England to start the semi-final with a different tempo, a different mindset in terms of how they're going to use the ball, how direct they are, how quick they want to move the ball forwards. I think he wants to demand a lot more of that from the team. and it makes sense. I understand his assessment and kind of be watching it and I think we can all see that England can do that a lot better with the quality of players that we have and that's what the manager wants to demand. And obviously opponents depending as to how they set up whether it's Argentina or Switzerland they may set up different ways but I would very much expect them to play on the front foot because that's the type of football that he wants and we've seen before.

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24:32Listen on BBC Sounds.

24:38At the People World Cup 2026, the Football Daily Podcasts with Matt Chapman. Listen on BBC Sounds. So with Argentina, Switzerland on the way, Chris Hutton is in the Kansas City Chiefs Stadium ready for Argentina against Switzerland. How much of England did you manage to see, Chris?

25:00Chris Sutton:yeah I saw a fair bit missed most of the first half I thought just seeing a fascinating stat at half time myself and Ian Dennis went in at half time to the media centre and I think England had had something like 75 % possession and that they seemed to have really worked much harder than Norway in the first half and they wondered whether that was a ploy from Norway whether they were just happy to sit in and counter attack and then the second half I thought Norway had the better of the game but England have been, I don't think England have hit the straps in this tournament yet but I think that's a really positive thing, I thought the Tuchel interview was fascinating and it was nice to hear and be truthful but England haven't had the control in this tournament I think Tuchel would have liked but the commitment has been there and England have been a team of moments and Bellingham has just been incredible.

25:57Chris Sutton:He really has. I mean, his first goal was brilliant and then the second one, the anticipation. And now, you know, semi-final in Atlanta and I know we like the Swiss and what have you, but just imagine if Argentina win and England-Argentina. I mean, that's absolutely mouth-watering that. What do you mean, you know, we like the Swiss? Well, we like the Swiss, but, you know, it wouldn't be as sort of as box office as England, Argentina, would it? I mean, it just wouldn't. No, just what I meant was, what, we like the Swiss football team? Yeah, well, they're just a nice country, aren't they, anyway?

26:34Chris Sutton:Just, yeah, nice people and what have you. But, you know, we would rather see an England-Argentina semi-final just with, you know, what's happened previously and what have you, and Messi. That's what we all want, Mark, isn't it? the other thing there with and I'll come back to Matt Upsa here and Chris mentions Messi but we sort of talk about this reliance on Jude Bellingham as well not as it could be because if he doesn't get them out of the hole then who will get them out of the hole as brilliant as he has been Matt but the World Cup over the years is littered with players who have not far off single-handedly carried their country to the World Cup.

27:20Yep. It's not uncommon, is it? It's not uncommon. And England have that man at the moment. They do. They do. They have someone who, to me, has a different kind of energy around him. I mean, how good is he at twisting and turning with the ball? Honestly, he gets a ball sometimes. He's got two players on him, and he finds a way of manipulating it between his feet. He did one out wide by the touchline where he shifted it and went round someone. And it was like, it's amazing stuff. It really is. He gets in situations. How does he do it then? It's just top quality footwork, coordination, dynamic with his movement.

28:06He's just got that ability and the poise and balance that he has as a player. He's just a world-class player in that sense. But what he's added this tournament is he's just got more of an edge. That anticipation for that second goal. I know it's a tap-in, but he's picturing that goalkeeper dropping that. He's got this hunger and this edge that wins football matches. And he's envisaging the keeper doing exactly what he did. Now, nine times out of that tunnel, more than that, whatever the percentage is, he parries that wider and he makes a better save or sticks into his body and he keeps it. but he's operating on the basis that that's going to come out and if it does, I'm going to be first to get there.

28:50They're the kind of mentality moments that win your football matches and he's producing those every game at the moment which is really keeping us going. You also wonder, Chris, whether it's a size thing as well because he is a man mountain and therefore to get round him or to shake him off as he tries to twist and turn and get out of any trap that he's sent. He's actually easier said than done because of his size.