Rio Ferdinand has singled out Djed Spence for praise following England’s 2-1 FIFA World Cup quarter-final win over Norway.

Spence was introduced into the match with four minutes to go in regulation time. While England needed an additional 30 minutes to see off Norway in Miami, Spence brought on some much-needed energy from the bench as his pace proved a thorn in Norway’s side. He forced a save in extra time and was unlucky to see a penalty decision in his favour overturned.

Spence has featured in all six of England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup matches so far. He started just two of those matches and came on as a substitute in the other four.

From a statistical perspective, the Tottenham Hotspur defender put in a good shift during his 34 minutes on the pitch. Spence made seven defensive contributions (one interception, four clearances, and two recoveries), won four out of five duels, was not dribbled past, and received a match rating of 7.8, according to Sofascore.

Elsewhere, the result marks the fourth time that England have reached the semi-finals of the men’s World Cup. The Three Lions have not lit up the stage since their first and only triumph in 1966.

England’s journey in the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thrilling, as they have had to work hard to secure victories. The Three Lions found themselves behind after 36 minutes, as Andreas Schjelderup gave Norway the lead.

A brace from Jude Bellingham, however, turned the game on its head and confirmed the Three Lions’ spot in the tournament’s semis. Speaking after the match, Harry Kane praised his teammates and suggested that the match was almost more difficult than their round of 32 clash with Mexico.

Thomas Tuchel’s side will face the winner of the match between Argentina and Switzerland in the semi-finals.

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