Jude Bellingham has pushed back against manager Thomas Tuchel’s critical appraisal of England’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway, urging for more positivity around the team’s performance.

The Real Madrid midfielder was once again the standout performer, scoring both goals as England came from behind in the sweltering Miami heat. His heroics earned him a fourth man-of-the-match award in six matches during the tournament.

Tuchel’s men were forced to dig deep against the Norwegians, needing extra time to progress to their fourth World Cup semi-final. However, the German coach admitted afterwards that he was “not happy with the performance”.

Bellingham, however, did not let that assessment go unchallenged, offering his own perspective on the match.

“Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kinds of conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sorloth,” Bellingham said. “That’s not an easy team to play against.

“We’ve tried to build a positive environment and we should keep that energy heading into the final four. I can’t praise the lads enough.

“You’re not going to win every match by just knocking the ball around and completing a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to grind out results, and we managed to do that again tonight.”

When asked if he agreed with Tuchel’s suggestion that England were fortunate to win, Bellingham simply replied: “No comment.”

Tuchel later addressed Bellingham’s remarks, stressing that there was no divide between him and his players.

“Absolutely, no one disputes that,” Tuchel said, referring to the physical toll of playing in extreme conditions. “I’m very impressed with the effort, the spirit, the belief, and the determination to overcome adversity and find ways to win. That’s top-level mentality. They can’t be praised enough for that.

“But I’m also a football coach, and I believe we can play better. Overall, it wasn’t a high-quality game. We’ve produced better performances before.”

He continued, “There were plenty of momentum swings for both sides, so full credit to the team for pulling through. We’re in the semi-finals, which is the main thing. But as a coach, I still feel we can, and must, play better football.”

Tuchel reaffirmed his pride in the squad, adding: “From my heart, I’m proud and happy. I feel a strong connection with this team because they always do what it takes to move forward. There are many areas for improvement, which is fine, but there’s absolutely no disconnect between me and my players—not even one per cent. I’m completely committed to them and love the way they give everything on the pitch.”

Bellingham’s brace brought him level with Harry Kane on six goals in the tournament, continuing his remarkable run as England’s driving force in attack.

The 23-year-old admitted that his performances had exceeded even his own expectations but was quick to share the credit with his teammates.

“Yeah, probably a bit beyond, to be honest,” he said. “I’m a confident lad, but you don’t really go to sleep dreaming of games like that.

“It’s amazing to make an impact and help the team, but the effort those boys put in was unbelievable. I’m so proud of how they keep fighting, no matter the circumstances.

“They should be proud of themselves, and I’ll make sure they know just how much they deserve it.”