English dreams are being renewed and voices are growing louder asking whether the golden trophy is truly close to returning to the home of football, following England's progression to the semi-finals of the World Cup for only the fourth time in their history — after 1966, 1990, and 2018 — on the back of a precious 2-1 victory over Norway in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Match statistics document England's on-field superiority: 52% possession, 91% passing accuracy, 14 shots with 8 on target, and 72 entries into the final third, compared to 13 shots and 4 on target for Norway.
Behind this attacking surge stands an exceptional golden duo driving England's dream. The side have scored 13 goals in this edition, 12 of them from the boots of captain Harry Kane and young Jude Bellingham — 6 goals each.
Bellingham continued his habit of finding the net for the second consecutive match, entering the history books as one of the greats after becoming only the third English player to score 6 goals in a single World Cup edition, after Gary Lineker (1986) and Harry Kane (2018).
Bellingham's records did not stop there. At 23 years and 12 days old, he became the second-youngest player to score two or more goals in consecutive knockout-stage matches at a World Cup, after Brazilian legend Pelé in 1958 (17 years and 249 days).
Bellingham also joined an exclusive list of midfielders who, in the last 50 years, have managed to score 6 or more goals in a single World Cup edition, alongside Colombian star James Rodríguez (2014). These extraordinary numbers confirm that England now possess the attacking power and the technical and mental readiness that may bring football's most coveted title home once again.