Jude Bellingham appeared visibly tense after ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke informed him of Thomas Tuchel’s remarks criticising England’s performance.

The midfielder played a pivotal role as the Three Lions edged past Norway with a 2-1 victory in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final, setting up a semi-final clash against the winner of Argentina versus Switzerland.

Bellingham was the standout performer of the night, scoring both goals for England and becoming the second-youngest player after Pele to record braces in consecutive World Cup knockout matches.

Following the match, England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s display against the Norwegians during an interview with ITV.

Tuchel said, “We made life very difficult for ourselves today. I'm not happy with the performance.”

He acknowledged that “the commitment was there,” but went on to explain that he was “disappointed in every sense” despite the victory.

“The way we played, how we played: sloppy. A lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough,” Tuchel added.

Bellingham, who was named Man of the Match for his exceptional contribution, was later told about Tuchel’s comments during his own post-match interview with ITV.

Responding to his manager’s criticism, the England star replied, “Whatever. Whatever. It’s difficult out there... the players put in a very tough shift.”

He added, “My thoughts and appreciation go to the players who were out there.”

When asked to assess England’s performance, Bellingham emphasised that their success came down to “character.”

“Perseverance when things weren’t working. Whether it’s 90, 120, we’ll give everything we’ve got,” he stated.

The result sees England return to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2018, when they were defeated 2-1 by Croatia.