Jude Bellingham and Thomas Tuchel’s Norway Spat: 'He doesn't know what it’s like'

Norway and England faced off at Miami Stadium in a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash. The regular 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 draw, sending the game into extra time. England managed to find the net during the extra period, defeating their opponents 2-1 to book a ticket to the semifinals.

England's goals came from Jude Bellingham in the 45+2 and 93rd minutes. Norway's lone goal was scored by Andreas Schjelderup in the 36th minute. Despite overcoming Norway thanks to Bellingham's brace, England Manager Thomas Tuchel claimed they won by luck.

Speaking to ITV after the Norway clash, Tuchel said:

"The result is fantastic, we are in the last four. It’s unbelievable, but I am not happy with the performance. In every aspect... There was grit, but we made things very, very difficult for ourselves with the way we played, our style of play. Sloppy, too many technical errors, not fast enough, and not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."

Tuchel later defended his comments, adding:

"I was very impressed by their effort and their ability to overcome difficulties. They can't get enough credit for that. But I am a football coach, and we can play better. We found a way to reach the last four. However, I look at it analytically. I still believe we need to play better. This is not an issue, and there is no disconnect between me and my team. Not even the slightest disconnect. My heart is full, and I love my players."

Jude Bellingham, the scorer of both goals in the Norway match, fired back at Tuchel's remarks. Disagreeing with his manager, the player stated:

"Maybe he doesn't know what it’s like to play under these conditions against players like Erling Haaland, Odegaard, Nusa, and Sörloth. They are not an easy team to face. That's why I think we are trying to create a positive environment. You can't win every game by just throwing the ball in the air and making thousands of passes. Sometimes you have to play like this, and that's exactly what we did."

When asked whether he agreed with Tuchel's "we were lucky" comment, Bellingham replied, "No comment." After uttering, "Yeah... anyway. Anyway," Bellingham emphasized that the match was played under very harsh conditions and that his teammates put up a massive fight.