Norway vs. England: Three Lions will look to take inspiration from "magical" and "chaotic" win over Mexico

Ahead of England's 2026 World Cup quarter-final with Norway, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses the Three Lions' triumph implicit Mexico successful the circular of 16.

Matt Law, Football Editor: "Reminded maine of matches from days gone by"

It reminded maine of matches from days gone by. 

The pre-game chaos, the speech of the kickoff being moved, the weather, the information concerns, the ambiance successful that stadium: it felt similar a lucifer from days gone by, what the World Cup is expected to beryllium about.

We've lost that successful shot now, a batch of the VAR worldly and each the structure. Football's supposed to be disconnected the cuff, magical, dramatic, thrilling, unpredictable, chaotic. 

Matches similar that marque children autumn successful emotion with shot oregon fortify their emotion for football. 

Matches similar that bring you together, warring for your lives nether pressure: balls into the box, Pickford saves, headed clearances, bodies successful the way. 

There was a batch of pre-tournament talk astir whether Jude Bellingham was going to start. There was even talk about whether Morgan Rogers was going to play implicit Jude Bellingham. 

I similar Morgan Rogers a lot, I think he's a really good footballer, but he's not successful the aforesaid stratosphere arsenic Jude Bellingham. Jude Bellingham is simply a world-class footballer. 

He didn't have the champion play past year: 8 goals, 5 assists for Real Madrid, and helium missed the commencement of the play and had a hamstring problem. 

But he's now connected 10 goals, 11 assists successful 53 games for England, with 4 goals and 1 assistance astatine this World Cup, including that treble past clip out. 

The Bellingham happening that stood retired for maine was that clearance helium did, astatine 2-1 England, successful the second stages of the fractional erstwhile Montes astatine the backmost station looked similar helium was going to convert. 

Bellingham someway got a ft to it and tipped it implicit the crossbar astatine a play wherever Mexico were really putting the unit on. 

The reddish cards, the 2 penalties: were they some penalties? I'd love to speech astir the Mexico 1 being a small spot harsh, but Kane does footwear done the player, truthful you tin spot wherefore that was given. 

It would've been a antithetic crippled if England had gone behind. If it goes 2-2 and they spell 3-2, oregon they go one-nil down, the atmosphere would've made it pugnacious for England. 

But they did capable to get done to the adjacent round. It was brilliant: an iconic shot lucifer that volition beryllium portion of England instrumentality songs moving forward.