Mulder marvels at Schjelderup’s wonder strike, yet doubts its intent

In the quiet of the stadium, the ball arced into the top corner as Norway's winger Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a left‑foot strike, prompting Youri Mulder to pause on the WK Avond and wonder about the nature of the goal. The moment unfolded in the quarter‑final between England (Engeland) and Norway (Noorwegen), and the analyst’s eyebrows rose as the ball found the net.

Schjelderup, operating on the flank, fired the ball with his weaker left foot into the upper corner, yet Mulder suggested it might simply have been a mis‑executed cross rather than a deliberate attempt on goal. The analyst noted the trajectory resembled a failed delivery more than a classic finish.

"Yes, it is truly a brilliant goal," Mulder laughed midway on the WK Avond. "But I don’t know if he did it consciously. It is a brilliant goal. Als I had made it? Of course it would have been intentional," he added with a wink.

He linked the strike to a potential assist for Erling Haaland, calling the ball "a strange one for a cross" and pointing out that Jordan Pickford, England’s goalkeeper, had expected a cross. "Nobody anticipated this," Mulder concluded.

The goal marked Schjelderup’s first at a World Cup, coming after he earned a starting spot with a solid performance against Brazil (Brazilië). It was a milestone for the young winger, who had fought for his place in the lineup.

Norway’s celebration was delayed because Jude Bellingham had equalised just before half‑time, leaving the score level at 1‑1 at the break. The timing added another layer of drama to an already tense knockout encounter.