England captain Harry Kane believes the Three Lions still have significant room for improvement despite securing a place in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway. While expressing satisfaction with the result, Kane admitted the team's overall performance fell below its own standards. England advanced to the last four after staging a comeback, keeping alive its hopes of lifting the World Cup trophy.

Speaking after the match, Kane revealed that head coach Thomas Tuchel congratulated the players on reaching the semifinals but also reminded them that the team was capable of delivering much better performances. According to Kane, Tuchel encouraged the squad to celebrate the achievement while recognising there was another level they needed to reach. The England captain viewed that message positively, saying it was encouraging that the team had reached the semifinals despite not yet playing its best football.

Tuchel himself acknowledged that England had been fortunate to emerge victorious against Norway. The German manager admitted his side made the contest unnecessarily difficult and said he was not satisfied with the overall display despite the positive result. He stressed that England would need to raise its performance considerably in the remaining matches if it hoped to become world champions, adding that improvement was essential as the competition entered its decisive stages.

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Kane, however, praised the determination and fighting spirit displayed by his teammates throughout the knockout encounter. He said England continued to show the mentality required to succeed in major tournaments and believed the team's resilience remained one of its greatest strengths. The striker added that if England could improve its control in possession and become more effective with the ball, it would be well prepared for the challenging matches that lie ahead.

England recovered from an early setback to defeat Norway through an outstanding performance from Jude Bellingham. Norway had taken the lead before Bellingham equalised in first-half stoppage time and later scored the winning goal in extra time to complete the comeback. A second-half goal by Norway's Torbjorn Heggem was ruled out after a VAR review, while Bellingham's decisive contribution earned him the Player of the Match award.

The victory also marked a personal milestone for goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who became England's most-capped goalkeeper in FIFA World Cup history with his 18th tournament appearance. England will now face either defending champions Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals as they continue their pursuit of a second World Cup title. With the competition nearing its conclusion, both Kane and Tuchel have made it clear that England must produce stronger performances if it hopes to go all the way.

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