England have reached the World Cup semi-finals for the second time in four years, but their 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway has been met with withering criticism from pundits — including a bizarre comparison to 'the world's ugliest daughter'. The Three Lions will face Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday (20:00 BST, live on BBC) after scraping past a Norway side whose star striker Erling Haaland 'had his worst game of the tournament', according to former Premier League striker Troy Deeney.
Former Leeds United forward Mike Grella, working as a pundit for CBS Sports, delivered a brutal verdict on England's display. 'The good news is you have two games left and you can actually win a World Cup. The bad news is you're not very good at football,' he said in a clip posted on CBS' X account. 'You're not good with the ball or in transition. You leave unbelievable spaces in between the lines. By English standards, a really poor performance. It's impressive how poor you are and are still able to get away with a win. It's like having the world's ugliest daughter and saying, "Oh, you're so beautiful baby."'
“England reach World Cup semi-finals but pundits slam performance as 'ugliest daughter' after Norway win”
Deeney, also on the CBS panel, agreed. 'They keep telling you the performances are going to come, but they might not. In wide areas we are average at best, when it's 0-0, we're playing with the shackles on. They told us they were going to play front-footed football. There's so many questions over what we see compared to the result.' Deeney pointed out that despite England's win, Norway still had 10 shots, and questioned the decision to take off Declan Rice at half-time — a substitution later explained by Rice struggling with illness. Reece James was moved into midfield, a change Deeney felt England 'got away with'.
England captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were described by Grella as 'unbelievable superstars', but he insisted that 'through facets of the game, not good enough, at all.' Despite the criticism, Grella acknowledged the ultimate prize remains within reach: 'The credit is, two more games and you can win a World Cup.'
Across the Atlantic, Argentina fans reacted to the prospect of facing England with a mix of confidence and caution. 'Easy peasy!' was the reported response, with supporters aware of the threat the Three Lions pose. The match will be the first ever meeting between Lionel Messi and England at a World Cup, adding extra spice to a semi-final that already carries the weight of history. England have two games left to prove they are more than an 'ugly daughter' — and to bring football home.