Norway exits the World Cup with their dignity intact, having charmed spectators with their spirited play and Viking pride. Their journey suggests it won’t be another 28 years before they reach the finals again.
The oppressive Miami heat proved challenging for Norway’s team, with even the renowned Erling Haaland needing to exit the match prior to the final whistle.
“To paraphrase Chico Marx to Mrs Teasdale in Duck Soup, who are you gonna believe? Me or your own eyes?”
Ronnie, I wish all my emails began like this.
“Given FIFA’s claim that the ball’s ‘heartbeat’ did not detect a deviation when the Norwegian keeper’s clearance had first hit the Spidercam’s wires, should Croatia be even more concerned about their late equaliser against Portugal being stamped out when we couldn’t see a deviation but the ‘heartbeat’ had picked up on a mere follicle? How can we trust FIFA technology?”
Indeed, while the term technology in that context might be redundant, it raises substantial questions. Jonathan Wilson commented on this issue just hours ago.
Previously, the outburst from Egypt’s manager, Hossam Hassan, regarding the necessity of keeping Messi in the tournament might have been dismissed as the resentful rant of a frustrated man. However, it’s worth noting that FIFA manipulated the qualifying process for the Club World Cup to guarantee the presence of Inter Miami and Messi. Additionally, FIFA suspended two matches of Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-game ban for his red card against Ireland in qualifying, allowing him to play in every group-stage match (and later had to grant amnesty to three other suspended players).
FIFA favors having star players involved. What if the focus on entertainment and the dubious desire for growth have overshadowed genuine sporting interests?
This is the precarious situation Infantino finds himself in. The integrity of sport is paramount: football loses its meaning if it lacks credibility. Marketing must never take precedence over the essence of the sport. When trust in integrity fades, doubts remain – similar to what Romanians experienced around the turn of the millennium. If these doubts persist too long, the sport may perish.
On a different note, whatever bears a striking resemblance to Neil Innes’ I’m Free to be an Idiot led to the former Monty Python collaborator receiving a songwriting credit and a share of the royalties in an out-of-court settlement.
While Wonderwall might be the anthem of choice for the England squad, they should consider switching to a more fitting (and superior in my opinion) tune.
Gabriel Clarke was tasked with capturing post-match comments from Tuchel and Bellingham in the flash zone, and he executed this responsibility exceptionally well.
Tuchel appeared wide-eyed and animated, reminiscent of Spud during his job interview in Trainspotting.
Bellingham, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by any implied criticism from the German regarding the team’s performance.
When asked about that criticism, Bellingham was clearly unimpressed. “Yeah, well, whatever. Whatever,” he stated, his body language conveying his indifference. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift. All the players have put in a tough shift, so my thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there and put in a great shift yet again.”
Further pressed in another post-match interview, Bellingham remarked: “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Ødegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sørloth. That’s not an easy team to play against. So, I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment. You’re not going to win every game, popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty, and we’ve done that again tonight.”
“At the risk of being the 1,000th to say it – it’s the Cable of God,” joked George Peacock.
Get those jokes in now, folks, because there will be enough “I can sit here and cry but I don’t want to do that,” references in the coming days to last a lifetime.
Norway expressed frustration that England’s opening goal was allowed after the ball seemingly hit a cable connected to one of the overhead cameras, permitting Elliot Anderson to take possession uncontested and provide the assist for Anthony Gordon.
“We have done everything we could – the players have been phenomenal throughout the tournament. OK it was bizarre but it’s part of football and why it is the best sport in the world because things like that can happen. We have to accept it.” said Ståle Solbakken. “We have done everything we could – the players have been phenomenal throughout the tournament. Sure, it was bizarre, but that’s part of football and why it’s the best sport in the world; things like this can happen. We must accept it.”
FIFA released a statement asserting that a sensor in the ball indicated no contact with a cable.
Ed Aarons rated Noni Madueke as England’s least effective performer. Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept the social media fires burning with a half-time rant claiming England were effectively playing with ten men.
Thomas Tuchel has performed admirably to reach the World Cup semi-finals, but the number of unused and underperforming squad members will provide interesting material for historical analysis.
However, there were some notable contributions, with Djed Spence making a mark at left back, Morgan Rogers providing essential energy, and Dan Burn reminding everyone that even in the modern era of passing and possession, it’s perfectly acceptable to have a tall player on the field to clear crosses when defending a lead.
Barney noted the puzzling exclusion of Kobbie Mainoo. The Manchester United midfielder has yet to feature in England’s tournament, despite being a reasonable option off the bench in the team’s first five matches and an obvious choice in their sixth.
Tuchel made extraordinary efforts to avoid playing him against Norway, opting instead for a fatigued Declan Rice, later substituting him with Eberechi Eze in a more advanced role that disrupted the team’s structure, followed by a barely fit Reece James as he struggled to address his self-inflicted issues.
Throughout those 120 minutes, the central midfield pairing shifted from Rice and Anderson to Bellingham and Anderson, then to James and Anderson, and finally to Rogers and Anderson. Notably absent was Kobbie Mainoo, who presumably ranks behind David Beckham, a cone, a giant lizard, and the TV camera cable in the pecking order for a spot. Why is Mainoo here? Why is Adam Wharton not here? These are questions that deserve genuine answers.
Barney Ronay was in Miami to witness the latest chapter of the Jude Bellingham phenomenon. Amid the well-deserved acclaim for England’s two-goal hero, there’s considerable concern for a team that seems to have lost its spark, alongside a coach grappling with uncertainty over his best lineup.
At times, this resembled the familiar England narrative of being the hollow men, stuffed men, waiting for the game to unfold. Football felt like a slow suffocation in that thick, sweet air. Yet they had Jude Bellingham, who appears to operate in an entirely different realm within this team, playing a parallel tournament that has thus far carried the rest along in its wake.
Whether you’re catching your breath after an exhilarating doubleheader or waking up to the thrilling results of two quarter-finals, stay with us for all the news and reactions from the captivating 2026 World Cup.
Only four teams remain in the tournament, with England and Argentina joining France and Spain in the semi-finals. For the first time since FIFA’s rankings began in 1992, the World Cup semi-finalists are the top four teams globally, on paper.
England faced a challenging match against Norway in the Miami heat, but once again, Jude Bellingham came through when it mattered on the grand stage.
Argentina also needed extra time to overcome European opponents; their standout was Julian Alvarez, but they owe a debt of gratitude to Breel Embolo for being sent off while Switzerland was on the verge of a historic result.
If you have any thoughts on these developments or anything else related to the World Cup, please reach out via email – jonathan.howcroft.freelance@. Let’s discuss!
