Erling Haaland praised Jude Bellingham in the post match conference, after losing to England by 1-2 in the quarter final match. Jude Bellingham played a crucial role in the victory of his team as he scored both the goals for England. Instead of lamenting the loss, the Manchester City striker used his global media platform to vehemently defend and praise his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, creating a viral moment that trended across the sports world.
Praising him Haaland said, “Real Madrid and England are lucky to have Jude Bellingham, and everyone wants Jude Bellingham on their team”.
When reporters approached Haaland to ask about Bellingham's match-winning masterclass, the Norwegian forward provided a highly detailed defense of his close friend. Haaland directly addressed the constant pressure and unrealistic expectations placed on Bellingham's shoulders regarding his goalscoring numbers. In the full interview, Haaland forcefully shut down media narratives that target Bellingham when his scoring numbers dip.
“Sometimes they criticize Jude Bellingham for not scoring enough goals, but he does not deserve that criticism. He's a midfielder, and yet he still scores, goes forward, dribbles. He's world class”, Haaland said in defense of the midfielder.
Jude Bellingham's brace sends England into the World Cup semi-finals
England booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in an absorbing quarter-final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday. Jude Bellingham once again proved to be England's match-winner, scoring both goals as Thomas Tuchel's side came from behind to end Norway's dream run in the tournament.
Norway stunned England in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup fired a fierce effort that found the back of the net, giving the Scandinavian side a deserved lead after an energetic opening spell. England, however, responded just before the interval as Bellingham finished clinically in first-half stoppage time to restore parity and ensure the teams headed into the break level at 1-1.
The second half produced several tense moments, with Norway believing they had regained the lead through Torbjørn Heggem, only for VAR to rule the goal out after determining Erling Haaland had committed a foul in the build-up. England weathered sustained Norwegian pressure before taking control early in extra time. Bellingham struck again in the 93rd minute, reacting quickest inside the penalty area to score the decisive goal and complete England's comeback.
The victory sent England into the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face Argentina as they continue their pursuit of a second world title. Despite the defeat, Norway earned widespread praise for a memorable tournament that included a famous Round of 16 triumph over Brazil, while England's hopes now rest on another inspired performance from their midfield talisman, Bellingham, whose brace underlined his growing reputation as one of the tournament's standout performers.
