England’s World Cup 2026 campaign hit a reset button on Sunday night when Thomas Tuchel gathered the squad to close the chapter on the Norway quarter-final and turn the page to Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina.

Last result: Norway 1-2 England (2026-07-11). After a 2-1 win in Miami that was overshadowed by Tuchel’s post-match criticism and Jude Bellingham’s blunt response, the head coach made sure the team moved on with full focus on the next opponent.

What happened in Miami?

Tuchel had already said he had “no problem” with Bellingham’s post-match remarks, but he wanted the whole group to hear it directly. The coach told the players that he and Bellingham share the same competitive edge, and that the midfielder’s comments came from exhaustion after 120 minutes and two goals.

“Bellingham was confronted with the negative side,” Tuchel said. “I called him a world-class player, I said he had world-class actions again to decide the match. I said the mentality is outstanding of this team. All of that was not part of the question.”

Why the meeting matters now

With England on a five-game winning streak and heading into the semi-final in Kansas City, Tuchel used the session to shift the narrative. Recent form (5W-0D-0L) shows a squad peaking at the right time, but the coach wanted no distractions.

“So Bellingham was confronted with, ‘What do you think, the coach said you were sloppy?’” Tuchel said. “Of course, I would maybe also bite back when I come from 120 minutes, scored two goals, gave literally everything that is in my body.”

What comes next against Argentina

England landed back in Kansas City late on Saturday and used Sunday to recover before Tuchel’s reset. The squad’s energy and mentality in camp is excellent, he said, and the team is ready to face Argentina.

“And then we straight away in the talk put on a new direction, put on a new head: which is the semi-final and Argentina,” Tuchel said. “We are ready to go for it tomorrow.”

Next fixture: vs Argentina (at home, 2026-07-15).