Six goals. That is the number Jude Bellingham has now scored at this World Cup, and it tells you almost everything you need to know about how England reached the semi-finals on a night when, frankly, they had very little right to. Thomas Tuchel had told his squad to release the handbrake, to chase the tournament's defining moments without fear or regret. Bellingham, as he so often does, listened harder than anyone.

Norway arrived as underdogs but refused to perform like them. Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring with a cross that curled and dipped into the far corner — part cross, part shot, entirely unstoppable for Jordan Pickford. England were shaken, unconvincing, and being gradually outplayed as the first half wound down. Then Bellingham equalised with a finish of real brilliance, and the tie reset.

But Norway came back stronger after the break, pressing England deep and exposing every uncertainty in Tuchel's defensive shape. The question forming in every England supporter's mind was a familiar, uncomfortable one: is this where it ends? It was not. Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Håskjold Nyland spilled a shot from substitute Morgan Rogers early in extra time, and Bellingham was the first to react — a composed, inevitable finish that put England in front.

Norway pressed again; Antonio Nusa had a shot blocked by Marc Guéhi, and Oscar Bobb blazed over from a promising position. Erling Haaland, closely marshalled throughout, was withdrawn before the second period of extra time without leaving a mark on the scoreline. When the final whistle sounded, England had not been the better team across ninety minutes. They had been carried by a player who appears to be moving beyond ordinary superlatives.