‘He doesn’t know what it means’: Jude Bellingham hits back at England coach ‘not happy with performance’ after Norway win

England head coach Thomas Tuchel talks with England’s Jude Bellingham (10) during the World Cup Round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo) Jude Bellingham appeared surprised after learning that England manager Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with the team’s performance despite their 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals.England booked their place in the last four in Miami, Bellingham scoring both goals. While the players celebrated on the pitch, Tuchel made it clear in his post-match interview that he was not happy with the overall display.The England manager said: “I’m not happy with the performance…“We made life very, very difficult today.“The result is fantastic, we’re in the last four, it’s amazing, but we’re not happy with the performance. The determination is there, but we made life very difficult for us with the way we played, the way we played.”“Untidy, a lot of technical errors, not enough speed, not enough repetition. We were lucky today.” said Tuchel after the match.Tuchel was then asked if the pressure of the occasion had affected his players.He dismissed the suggestion, saying, “It’s not a mentality problem – it’s pure mentality.”“How can you ask about mentality now? This is pure mentality, you can package it and sell it. It’s the quality of our games. That’s it. It has nothing to do with mentality.”Later, during his own post-match interview with ITV, Bellingham was informed of Tuchel’s comments. Looking frustrated, the midfielder responded by rolling his eyes and saying, “Whatever.”He then added: “It’s tough out there. It’s been a tough change.”Bellingham also praised his teammates for the effort they put forth during the game.Asked about Tuchel’s comments, the Real Madrid midfielder said: “Maybe he doesn’t know what it means to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, Nusa, Sorloth, it’s not easy to play against.“I think we tried to create a positive environment that we should continue in the final four.”“I can’t think highly enough of the guys. You’re not going to win every game with a thousand passes, sometimes you have to win dirty.”