Norway's World Cup 2026 journey ended in frustration on July 12, as they lost 2-1 to England in the quarter-finals. The Norwegians contended that Jude Bellingham's equalizing goal should have been disallowed due to the ball potentially hitting a spidercam wire during the build-up.
Norway's Claims of Controversial Goal
In the first half of the match held in Miami, England was trailing after Andreas Schjelderup scored for Norway. The incident occurred just before Bellingham's goal, as replays indicated that the ball may have passed near the spidercam cable. If it had touched the wire, the goal would have been disallowed, and play would have resumed with a dropped ball.
Norway midfielder Sander Berge expressed his disbelief, stating, "It's ridiculous, this one with the wire. [The result] 2-1 says itself – there are small margins and we know which way it went." Captain Martin Odegaard echoed the sentiment, questioning the referee's decisions during the match.
Referee's Response and VAR Review
After the goal, several Norway players confronted referee Clement Turpin, insisting that the goal should not have counted. Norway's head coach, Stale Solbakken, reported a conversation with Turpin at halftime. "He [the referee] says that he didn’t see it himself and that he didn’t get any message that it actually happened," Solbakken noted.
FIFA later stated that there was no evidence of the ball touching the spidercam wire. A statement from FIFA Media read: "Before England's goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the connected ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball."
Technological Controversies in Football
The incident has raised questions about the reliability of technology used in football, particularly the Snickometer-style technology that was previously at the center of controversy during Portugal's match against Croatia. England's head coach, Thomas Tuchel, emphasized the importance of accurate technology, stating, "There is a chip in the ball who can tell you if a hair touches it as we know since the Croatia v Portugal game, so they should be able to tell you if it [a touch] happened [here]."
Despite the controversy, Tuchel acknowledged his team's fortune in key moments during the match, saying, "I’m not saying we are lucky to win, but we are lucky in decisive moments."
- Match date: July 12, 2026
- Location: Miami, USA
- Final score: England 2, Norway 1
- Key players: Jude Bellingham, Sander Berge, Martin Odegaard
🤖 This article was rewritten by Feed and Figures' editorial AI from a report originally published by BBC Sport. Facts and quotes are preserved from the original; the rewrite focuses on clarity and structure. For the unedited original, see the source link below.
