Bellingham credits clean semifinal to mother's advice

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has credited his mother's advice for helping him avoid a suspension and propel his team into the World Cup semifinals. Bellingham scored both goals in a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami on Saturday, July 11, securing England's place in the final four, where they will face defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15.

The 23-year-old Real Madrid star was one of four England players, alongside Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi, and Declan Rice, at risk of missing the semifinal if they received a yellow card during the quarterfinal. Bellingham successfully navigated the match without a booking, a discipline he attributed to repeated warnings from his mother, Denise, throughout the week.

"My mum's been telling me all week to watch my language, watch my tackles, watch my face, watch my emotions," Bellingham said after the match. "I think she drilled it into me all week about being careful of that yellow card." He also praised referee Clement Turpin for managing the game well and allowing respectful communication on the pitch.

England's path to victory was arduous. Norway took the lead in the 36th minute through Andreas...