England are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after edging Norway in extra time, with Jude Bellingham once again the decisive figure. As the final whistle went, England fans were celebrating up and down the country, while inside the stadium the strains of Oasis and chants of "Football's coming home" rang out, marking a hard-fought place in the last four of the tournament.
The match itself was a tense affair that gave little away. According to the coverage, it was a nervy second half in which neither side really created much, and the game had to be settled in the additional period. In gruelling, hot conditions, it was the first time England had been taken to extra time at this World Cup, before Bellingham stepped up to strike the winner and break the deadlock.
The tie turned on a couple of key moments. Erling Haaland was penalised for a foul on Elliot Anderson in the build-up to a corner being taken, and as a result Norway had a goal ruled out. England, for their part, felt they should have had a penalty of their own when Jed Spence was brought down inside the box, but the appeal was waved away and no spot-kick was given.
For Bellingham, it was a continuation of a remarkable run at the finals. The strike took him to six goals in six games at this World Cup, a tally matched by captain Harry Kane, who is also on six. Commentators noted that England's fortunes have hinged on that combination, with the outcome of matches often coming down to either Kane or Bellingham finding a way through for the national side.
Bellingham's impact has also silenced some of his doubters. As the broadcast pointed out, there had been questions in the past year over whether he should even be in the squad, let alone the starting eleven, yet he has repeatedly rescued England when they have needed it most. His extra-time intervention against Norway was another example of the midfielder dragging his side over the line.
The victory sends England back into the last four, where they will face either Argentina or Switzerland. Broadcasters recalled the country's recent semi-final heartbreaks, having lost at that stage to West Germany in 1990 and to Croatia in 2018, and noted that England had not won a knockout match after falling behind since their triumph in the 1966 final, underlining what this run has meant.
For Norway, defeat brought an emotional end to a landmark campaign. This was their first ever World Cup quarter-final, having never won a knockout-stage game before beating Brazil to reach this last-eight tie. Manchester City striker Haaland, billed as their big threat, created little on the night. Norway, back at a World Cup after 28 years, had been the smallest country left in the competition when they knocked out Brazil, and their fans, though gutted, spoke of an incredible experience as the celebrations erupted at a packed fan zone in Manchester.