Forty years ago in Mexico, Diego Maradona scored twice against England and twice against Belgium in consecutive World Cup knockout matches. On Sunday in Miami, Jude Bellingham did exactly the same thing.Bellingham became the first player since Maradona in 1986 to score two or more goals in consecutive knockout stage appearances at the same World Cup, completing back-to-back braces against Mexico in the Round of 16 at the Azteca and Norway in Saturday’s quarterfinal at Hard Rock Stadium. England won 2-1, booking their place in the World Cup semifinal for the first time since 1990.The comparison with Maradona is as extraordinary as it is fitting. In 1986 at this very World Cup in Mexico, Maradona scored twice against England in one of the most famous matches ever played, including the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century and then followed it up with two more against Belgium in the semifinal. No player in the 40 years since had managed the same feat across consecutive knockout matches at a single tournament. Until Bellingham.Against Norway, Bellingham was the ultimate difference-maker but it took every ounce of drama this World Cup had to offer before he could deliver.Norway struck first. In the 36th minute, Andreas Schjelderup fired a brilliant shot off the right post and into the back of the net to stun an England side that had dominated possession. Then came one of the most controversial moments of the tournament. A Norwegian goal kick appeared to strike an aerial camera cable before dropping to Elliot Anderson, who quickly fed Bellingham for a clinical low equaliser just before halftime. By tournament rules, play should have been halted for a drop ball but the infraction went unnoticed, sparking furious protests from the Norwegian bench.The match went to extra time. And then, in the third minute of the additional period, Bellingham delivered. Morgan Rogers unleashed a venomous shot that Orjan Nyland failed to hold cleanly and Bellingham pounced on the rebound to fire England ahead. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, drawing him level with teammate Harry Kane and placing him just two behind Golden Boot leaders Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.Jordan Pickford was equally heroic throughout, producing a point-blank save against Haaland in the first half to keep England level. By the second half of extra time, an exhausted Haaland, held goalless for the first time all tournament was substituted for Jorgen Strand Larsen, signalling the end of Norway’s greatest threat.England are in the World Cup semifinal. They face Argentina or Switzerland in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday. And leading the charge is a young man from Stourbridge who is making the kind of history that only legends make.
