Jude Bellingham sends England to World Cup semi-finals with extra-time winner against Norway
England's fourth World Cup semi-final berth comes courtesy of two Bellingham goals, while Kraken's tournament sponsorship keeps crypto tangentially in the picture
England are through to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it took every bit of extra time to get there. A 2-1 victory over Norway on July 11 in Miami Gardens, Florida, keeps Gareth Southgate’s side alive in a tournament that has already produced more drama per matchday than most fans could have hoped for.
The hero, as has become something of a habit, was Jude Bellingham. He scored both of England’s goals, including the decisive extra-time winner, to cancel out an earlier Andreas Schjelderup strike that had given Norway the lead.
How it unfolded
Norway drew first blood through Schjelderup. Then Bellingham equalized, and when 90 minutes weren’t enough to separate the sides, he scored again in extra time to settle it.
Norway, for their part, were not here just to make up numbers. Erling Haaland featured for the Norwegians, and the presence of arguably the most feared striker in club football meant England’s defense had no time to relax.
The match was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, one of several North American venues hosting the 2026 edition of the tournament, which marks the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
England’s place in World Cup history
This is England’s fourth semi-final appearance in World Cup history.
England’s next opponent will be the winner of the Argentina vs. Switzerland quarter-final.
What crypto has to do with any of this
Kraken, the US-based crypto exchange, holds the status of official crypto exchange supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. What it does not do is create a mechanical link between England winning a quarter-final and the price of any token moving in a measurable direction.
The crypto sector’s engagement with this World Cup has followed a familiar pattern: sponsorship visibility, fan experience integrations, and betting market infrastructure. No crypto tokens, protocols, or blockchain developments are associated with this match outcome.
Crypto betting markets likely saw elevated activity around the England-Norway match, given England’s global fanbase and the high stakes of a quarter-final. But elevated betting volume in prediction or sports markets is a different animal from spot price movement in major assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum.