Jude Bellingham backs England stars after Thomas Tuchel criticism - ESPN

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jude Bellingham praised England's fighting spirit and ability to «win dirty» after coach Thomas Tuchel criticized their performance in beating Norway on Saturday.

The Three Lions came from a goal down to win 2-1 in extra time at Hard Rock Stadium as Bellingham scored twice to set up a semifinal showdown with either Argentina or Switzerland.

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Tuchel hailed his team's resolve in recovering from Andreas Schjelderup's 36th-minute opener but said he was «not 100% happy» with the performance and suggested England «have to play better football» to achieve their ultimate aim of winning the World Cup.

When this was put to Bellingham by ITV Sport, he responded: «Yeah well, whatever. It's a tough shift, so my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who've put a tough shift out there.»

And when Bellingham was later in the mixed zone asked about Tuchel's comments and whether it displayed the high standards he expects from his England team, he answered: «Maybe. Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in these types of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Ødegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sørloth, you know. That's not an easy team to play against.

»We've tried to create a positive environment, and we should continue that into the final four. I can't speak highly enough of the lads. You're not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes, you have to win dirty."

As well as Norway, England had to navigate the heat and humidity of South Florida, with temperatures reaching 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) at