“Well played Bellingham and referee,” Erling Haaland’s father sarcastically posted after Norway’s controversial loss to England. Jude Bellingham scored twice to send England into the FIFA World Cup semis, but the match was full of drama over some very questionable refereeing decisions.
Miami: England has booked its spot in the World Cup semi-finals after beating Norway in a dramatic quarter-final match in Miami. Jude Bellingham was the star of the show, scoring two goals to seal the win for England.
Norway actually surprised everyone by taking the lead in the 36th minute. But their joy was short-lived as Bellingham pulled one back for England just before half-time. In the second half, Norway came out all guns blazing, putting a lot of pressure on England to find a winner. However, just minutes before the final whistle, Jude Bellingham found the net again, crushing Norway’s hopes.
All eyes were on Erling Haaland, but it just wasn’t his day. Despite attacking well, Norway just couldn’t score. There was also a lot of talk about a moment in the second half when Sørloth had a great chance but didn’t pass to Haaland, wasting the opportunity.
But the match will be remembered for some very controversial refereeing. In the 55th minute, Norway thought they had scored. Heggem headed the ball in from a corner kick, but the goal was cancelled. The referee claimed that Haaland had pushed Elliot Anderson before the kick was taken. This decision caused a huge uproar.
On top of that, England’s first goal was also questionable. It came after a Norway goal kick hit an overhead broadcast camera. The ball then fell to an England player, who set up Jude for the goal. The Norwegian players appealed, but the referee didn’t give a clear explanation and the game just went on.
After the match, the drama moved to social media. Erling Haaland’s father, Alfie Haaland, who is a former Norway player himself, posted on X. He sarcastically wrote, “Congratulations to Bellingham and the referee.” In another post, he was more direct, saying the referee “saved the match” and that they were “cheated.”
His posts have gone viral, with many fans agreeing that poor refereeing cost Norway the game. Meanwhile, with his two goals today, Jude Bellingham has now scored a total of six goals in this World Cup.