England are heading to another World Cup semi-final, adding to their runs in 1966, 1990 and 2018.
After French referee Clement Turpin ended an incident-packed 2-1 quarter-final in Miami, Thomas Tuchel’s weary side sank to the turf in relief, having needed extra time to get past Norway.
In the stands, England’s supporters erupted. On the pitch, two-goal Jude Bellingham accidentally bumped heads with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford amid the celebrations, while captain Harry Kane led the team in saluting the thousands who had travelled to Florida.
Tuchel, though, was unimpressed by the display.
He admitted England were fortunate, saying the team made life hard for themselves: too many technical errors, not enough speed or consistency, and a level of sloppiness that nearly proved costly as Norway led, missed a big chance for 2-0, had a goal ruled out and struck the crossbar.
Tuchel credited sheer mentality for seeing England through.
Bellingham, scorer in the 47th and 93rd minutes, brushed off the manager’s criticism, stressing how demanding the match was and praising the collective effort of his teammates.
England’s tournament has been uneven since a 4-2 opening win over Croatia: a draw with Ghana, a controlled 2-0 against Panama, a comeback to progress after trailing DR Congo, and a gritty 3-2 victory over Mexico with 10 men.
Tuchel insisted he remains fully connected to and fond of his players, but expects a significantly higher level, saying there is plenty to improve across the board.
Will grit and character be enough with Argentina up next in the semi-final, or must England raise their performance to reach the final?