Thomas Tuchel demands improvement despite England reaching World Cup semi-finals

MIAMI GARDENS: England head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted his side were fortunate to progress after their 2-1 victory over Norway here at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, insisting a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals could not disguise an underwhelming display.

The Three Lions came from behind to book their place in the last four, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to overturn Andreas Schjelderup's first-half opener for Norway.

England will now face Argentina for a place in the World Cup final.

Despite the positive result, Tuchel delivered a frank assessment of his team's performance and warned that significant improvements will be required against stronger opposition.

"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic – we're in the last four – but I'm not happy with the performance. We got lucky today. We need to play better," Tuchel said after the match.

England struggled to establish control for long periods and were punished when Schjelderup's stunning strike gave Norway the lead.

Bellingham restored parity in first-half stoppage time before completing his brace in extra time to rescue the favourites.

Norway, playing in their first World Cup quarter-final, created several promising opportunities and forced England into an uncomfortable contest.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made important saves, while Norway's Orjan Nyland produced an impressive display despite ending up on the losing side.

Tuchel acknowledged his players' determination but stressed that resilience alone would not be enough as the tournament enters its decisive stage.

England have now reached the World Cup semi-finals for the second time in the last three editions, but Tuchel expects a much sharper and more disciplined performance if they are to keep their hopes of lifting a first World Cup since 1966 alive.