Thomas Tuchel did not hide his frustration after England scraped past Norway 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final, calling the display "sloppy" and admitting the Three Lions were "lucky" to advance. Jude Bellingham, whose double secured the win, was not impressed by the criticism — responding with a blunt "whatever" when asked about his manager's verdict.

A nervy path to the last four

England fell behind before Bellingham struck twice to send the tie into extra-time and ultimately into the semi-finals — only the third time the Three Lions have reached that stage since 1966. The match was anything but comfortable, with Norway dominating large spells of the second half, having a second goal disallowed for an Erling Haaland foul, and striking the woodwork through Kristoffer Ajer.

The conditions were punishing too. England played in intense Miami heat, with feel-like temperatures reported above 40°C.

Tuchel unhappy despite the result

Speaking to ITV Sport after the final whistle, Tuchel was candid about his dissatisfaction. "We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today," he said. "The result is fantastic, we're in the last four — it's amazing. But I'm not happy with the performance. In every sense."

"Sloppy, tactical mistakes, not fast enough. We were lucky enough. We will get better, we need to get better."

When a reporter raised the question of mentality, Tuchel pushed back sharply. "Mentality? This is pure mentality — how can you talk about mentality? You can bottle it up and sell it. It's the quality of our game that's the problem. We need to play better."

Bellingham fires back

Bellingham showed little patience for his manager's public critique. "Yeah, well. Whatever," he said. "It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. All the players are putting in a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation go to the players who put in a good shift out there."

Kane keeps the peace

Captain Harry Kane took a more measured view, suggesting Tuchel's high standards were ultimately a positive sign. "He just said in the changing room — massive congratulations, enjoy it and celebrate," Kane said. "But there's a part of him that knows we can do better, which in a way is a good thing. If we're in the semi-finals of a World Cup and can still improve, we can only take that as a positive."

"We had the most important ingredients as a team. If we can start ticking a little bit better in possession, then we'll have a good couple of games ahead."

Neville: this is good for England

Sky Sports' Gary Neville, commentating for ITV, welcomed the public tension between manager and players. "That's why England brought Thomas Tuchel in — a manager who does not accept just winning a World Cup quarter-final," Neville said. "Those two interviews — Tuchel's and Bellingham's — were absolutely brilliant. Massive egos, world-class players and managers. You have to be exceptional to do what those two have done."

Neville also singled out Bellingham for extraordinary praise. "I've seen Gascoigne, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney go to tournaments and rip it up. But I've never seen a player have an impact on a tournament the way Jude Bellingham is. This is very special. An absolute superstar."

England's route to the final

England face Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday 15 July, with kick-off at 8pm. Should they progress, a final in New Jersey on Sunday 19 July against either France or Spain awaits.