Jude Bellingham was tense after ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke let him know about Thomas Tuchel’s criticism for England tonight.
The Three Lions prevailed in a narrow 2-1 victory against Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final, and will face the winner of Argentina versus Switzerland in the last four.
Bellingham was the hero on the night: he scored both of England’s goals and became the second-youngest player after Pele to score braces in back-to-back World Cup knockout games.
Jude Bellingham reacts to Thomas Tuchel criticism
Speaking after the match, Thomas Tuchel told ITV that he was disappointed in England’s performance against the Norwegians.
The Three Lions boss said: “We made life very difficult for ourselves today. I’m not happy with the performance.”
Tuchel admitted, ‘The commitment was there’, but clarified that he was disappointed ‘in every sense’ following England’s victory.
“The way we played, how we played: sloppy. A lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough,” he said.
Bellingham, who won Man of the Match for his remarkable display against Norway, was later told by Clarke about Tuchel’s words, also speaking with ITV.
In response to Tuchel’s criticism, the Three Lions star said: “Whatever. Whatever. t’s difficult out there… the players put in a very tough shift.”
He continued. “My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there.”
When asked for his opinion of the England performance, Bellingham defined it as having only been possible due to “character.”
“Perseverance when things weren’t working. Whether it’s 90, 120, we’ll give everything we’ve got,” he said.
England have now made it back to the World Cup semi-finals, last appearing on that stage in 2018 where they fell 2-1 to Croatia.