Kane’s World Cup dream lives on: England clears the Norway hurdle | OneFootball

At this point, not many Bayern Munich stars are still in the running at the 2026 World Cup. The large contingent of German players was already eliminated in the round of 32, but Harry Kane and his English teammates are still hoping for a major upset. 

On Saturday night at 11 p.m., the Three Lions’ quarterfinal match against Norway kicked off. It was set to be a heated game that also placed a heavy mental strain on the players.

Norway even took the lead and had good chances to make it 2-0 against an English team that wasn’t playing particularly well before halftime. However, a goal by Jude Bellingham to tie the score at 1-1 kept England’s hopes alive.

Kane went scoreless this time, but England is celebrating anyway

In the end, the Three Lions even had to go into extra time. There, Jude Bellingham scored again—quite early (93rd minute)—to make it 2-1, which ultimately proved to be the winning goal for England.

Thomas Tuchel, England’s coach, was not satisfied. “We made it very, very difficult for ourselves,” said the 52-year-old after the hard-fought victory over Haaland and company. “The result is fantastic—we’re in the semifinals, and that’s great—but we’re not satisfied with the performance.”

Photo: Getty Images

Kane, who tried hard and had his chances, went scoreless in this quarterfinal match, but he certainly made his presence felt. He kept the Norwegian defense on their toes and frequently popped up in midfield as well.

In the end, Tuchel’s team had reason to celebrate, showing great mental toughness above all as they held their ground against a bold and aggressive opponent. In the semifinals, the Three Lions will now face Lionel Messi and Argentina, who also advanced past Switzerland in extra time. Kickoff for that match is Wednesday at 9 p.m. Perhaps France, with Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano, will already be confirmed as their opponent by then.