Jude Bellingham was unapologetic in his response to Thomas Tuchel's scathing assessment of England's quarter-final performance against Norway. The Real Madrid midfielder shrugged off the criticism with a dismissive "Yeah, well, whatever," after scoring two crucial goals in the 3-2 comeback victory.
The youngster's exceptional display, which included a contentious equaliser and the winning goal in extra time, left Tuchel fuming. The head coach described England's display as 'sloppy' and 'not fast enough', claiming they had made life "very very difficult" for themselves through technical mistakes.
Bellingham's six goals in the tournament have him neck-and-neck with captain Harry Kane, just two behind top scorers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. His second goal, which came after a Norway goalkeeper error, sealed England's passage to the semi-finals – but Tuchel remained unsatisfied.
The match was an emotional rollercoaster, with Andreas Schjelderup putting Norway ahead early on before Bellingham's heroics turned the tide. The equaliser itself sparked controversy, with replays suggesting a possible overhead cable intervention in the build-up – although FIFA later denied any foul play.
Captain Harry Kane offered a more diplomatic view of Tuchel's post-match comments, suggesting that the manager's tough love could be a blessing in disguise. "He just said we should enjoy it and celebrate, but still knows we can do better," Kane noted. "If that's what drives us to improve, then it's a positive thing."