England fans flood London after Bellingham sends team into semi-finals

Jude Bellingham's extra-time winner turned England's quarter-final into a release of noise across London, as supporters flooded the West End, Wembley and Camden after the 2-1 comeback over Norway in Miami Gardens, Florida.

England had trailed since Andreas Schjelderup scored in the 36th minute at Hard Rock Stadium, but Bellingham levelled before half-time and struck again three minutes into extra time to send England into the World Cup semi-finals. It was England's first World Cup semi-final since 2018, and the result instantly shifted the mood from relief to expectation, with Argentina now waiting in Atlanta on Wednesday.

By the early hours of Sunday, July 12, 2026, thousands of fans were packed into central London, spilling along Regent Street and clustering around Wembley as they chanted "It's coming home" and "Hey Jude." Pubs were full, traffic ground to a halt, and police moved through the crowds to push supporters back as the celebrations swelled beyond the normal Saturday-night tempo. In Camden and south London, the same pattern played out: cheering, singing and street-level celebration after a match that had looked dangerous for long stretches.

The government had extended hospitality licensing hours in England and Wales until 2:00 am for the match, helping keep bars open as the game went into extra time and the result became clear. The loosened hours fed the scale of the gathering when England finished the job, with the victory quickly becoming a public event as much as a sporting one.

Prince William congratulated England on social media, while Keir Starmer and David Beckham also joined the public celebration. Starmer's message reached back to Norway's famous 1981 qualifier win over England, a reminder of how quickly old results return to shape national football memory when a tournament run starts to harden into belief.

Norway's quarter-final place was itself historic, their first appearance in the last eight at a major tournament, but Bellingham's two goals ended that breakthrough and put England one step from the final. For England supporters, the comeback did more than secure a semi-final place: it recast a team under pressure as one being talked about in the language of history.