‘We were lucky today’: Tuchel snaps back at reporter after England’s win over Norway

Thomas Tuchel hit back at reporter Gabriel Clarke after being questioned about England’s mentality following their 2-1 World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway.

England fought back after falling behind in the first half, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to complete a stunning turnaround and send the Three Lions into the World Cup semi-finals.

Despite the result, Tuchel admitted he was unhappy with England’s overall performance and felt his team made the match harder than necessary.

Speaking to ITV after the game, Tuchel said, "I didn't speak about suffering, never talked about suffering. We made life very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic, we are in the last four, but not happy with the performance... in every sense. The commitment is there, but we made life very difficult for ourselves. Lots of technical mistakes. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."

The England manager was then asked whether the display raised concerns about the team’s mentality, a question that appeared to frustrate the German coach.

Tuchel responded, "Mentality? Mentality? This is pure mentality. How can you ask about mentality? It's not about mentality."

England’s victory saw Bellingham produce another decisive World Cup moment, as the midfielder’s brace overturned Norway’s early lead and secured a place in the final four.

Bellingham was named Player of the Match. He and captain Harry Kane have now scored six goals each at the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time two England players have netted at least five goals in a single edition of the tournament.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also achieved a major milestone, making his 18th FIFA World Cup appearance to become England's most-capped goalkeeper in World Cup history, surpassing Peter Shilton's previous record of 17 matches.

For Norway, the defeat ended a memorable campaign that included their first-ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal. Their previous best performances had been Round of 16 finishes in 1938 and 1998, alongside a group-stage appearance at the 1994 World Cup.