England have taken one more step towards ending 60 years of hurt by reaching the World Cup final this summer on Saturday evening.
England did not hit top gear, but a determined display was enough to edge past Norway 2-1 after extra time in the searing Miami heat and seal a fourth World Cup semi-final appearance.
Jude Bellingham scored a brace to emerge as the England hero in Florida, and they will now face defending champions Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday.
However, the match didn’t go without a couple of dubious calls. VAR ruled out a Norway goal in the second half for foul play, and it also overturned a penalty, leaving England furious.
But the England win on Saturday left one former Leeds star fuming.
Ex-Leeds United star hammers VAR
Norway took the lead in the first half when Andreas Schjelderup produced an astonishing shot to beat Jordan Pickford in goal in the 36th minute.
They were motoring towards the break with a lead. However, Bellingham had other plans as he drove past three Norway defenders to equalise for the Three Lions.
However, the build-up to Bellingham’s goal later came under scrutiny after it appeared that the ball had struck the overhead camera cables before dropping to the feet of an England player.
By the letter of the law, the goal should have been chalked off. However, no one noticed at that time, including the Norway players and their dugout.
FIFA later clarified that it found no evidence to suggest the ball had struck the cable, despite how it appeared.
Norway were fuming after the game, and former Leeds star Alfie Haaland has blasted the officials, insisting that his nation were robbed on the biggest stage.
The ex-Leeds star wrote on X: “Really? Saved by the referee.
“Hope you win the WC now. But feel we got robbed today.”
Really? Saved bye the referee. Hope you win the WC now. But feel we got robbed today. https://t.co/Lplf9uyOzM
— Alfie Haaland (@alfiehaaland) July 12, 2026
Alfie Haaland was fuming inside the stadium
Erling Haaland’s goals powered Norway’s dream run to the quarter-finals, and his dad, Alfie Haaland, has been a constant presence in the games.
He cut an animated figure throughout the quarter-final, with his frustration at several refereeing decisions clear for everyone to see.
When Norway’s goal was ruled out, the former Leeds United star cut a frustrated figure in the stands, appearing to direct an angry outburst towards the referee.
He also suggested with his actions that Djed Spence dived to earn a penalty, before it was overturned, and showed his finger towards the England camp.
