Jude Bellingham, England's standout player, has revealed that his mother played a crucial role in helping him avoid a suspension during the team's World Cup victory over Norway. Bellingham's two goals secured a 2-1 win for England, advancing them to the semi-finals where they will face Argentina.
Bellingham had been one yellow card away from a one-match ban following a caution received two weeks prior against DR Congo. He managed to avoid a booking in the match against Norway, ensuring his availability for the upcoming crucial fixture.
"My mum's been telling me all week to watch my language, watch my tackles, watch my face, watch with my emotions," Bellingham told reporters. "I think she drilled it into me all week about being careful of that yellow card."
He acknowledged the referee's performance and the difficulty of the match, which featured strong opposition from Norway, including Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. England fell behind in the first half when Andreas Schjelderup scored, but Bellingham equalized before halftime with a goal after a run past defenders. He scored the decisive goal in extra time after a rebound.
Following the match, England manager Thomas Tuchel commented that his players were "lucky," a statement that seemed to perplex Bellingham. The midfielder suggested that Tuchel, who retired from playing at 25 due to injury, might not fully understand the pressures of competing at the highest level under intense conditions.
"Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, (Martin) Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth. That's not an easy team to play against," Bellingham said when pressed on Tuchel's remarks. "You're not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that again tonight."
Despite the challenging "real feel" temperatures on the pitch, exceeding 40C, Bellingham emphasized the team's effort. Tuchel later downplayed any perceived disconnect with his squad, stating his full support for his players.
England faces a few injury concerns heading into the Argentina match, with Jordan Henderson having been on the bench despite a broken arm, and Declan Rice substituted at halftime due to illness.