On the Eve of the Clash Against Argentina: England's Manager and Bellingham Engage in Public Dispute

2026 World Cup Key News

(Central News Miami, Dec. 12 —综合 international wire reports) Jude Bellingham led England into the World Cup semi-finals, but a new rift emerged between him and manager Thomas Tuchel just days before their pivotal match against Argentina on the 15th, sparked by Tuchel's criticism of the team's performance.

According to AFP, England struggled against Norway under the scorching heat of Miami on the 11th, delivering a lackluster performance. Tuchel admitted they were "lucky" to avoid an early exit.

Bellingham scored twice, rescuing the 'Three Lions,' just as he did six days earlier in a 3-2 victory over co-host Mexico, masking England's on-field shortcomings.

Norway argued that Bellingham's first goal should have been disallowed, as the ball had struck a camera in mid-air during the earlier phase of the attacking move.

In Norway's first-ever World Cup quarter-final, another controversial VAR (Video Assistant Referee) decision went against them in the second half when the score was tied 1-1. Their star striker Erling Haaland had his goal disallowed for a push foul before the corner kick was taken.

Haaland's father, former Norway international Alf-Inge Haaland, mocked on social media: 'Bellingham and the referee, well done.'

Despite guiding England to their fourth World Cup semi-final in history, Tuchel remained unimpressed.

The German manager said: 'We found a way to reach the semi-finals. That's obviously the most important thing, but when I switch back to rational analysis and my role as a coach, I still believe we could and should have performed better.'

He added: 'No one would deny that in a knockout tournament like the World Cup, you need luck to go far. I'm just being honest about my feelings.'

Bellingham fired back: 'Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play under those climate conditions.' This was clearly a jab at Tuchel's extremely limited playing career.

He said: 'I think we've always worked hard to create a positive environment, and we should continue to maintain that atmosphere after reaching the semi-finals.'

'I'm incredibly proud of my teammates. You can't win every game with smooth ball control and thousands of passes. Sometimes you have to win in an ugly way, and we did it again.' (Translation: Chen Yuting) 1150713

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