Norway, eliminated by England on Saturday in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals at Miami Stadium, protested the Three Lions’ first goal — Jude Bellingham’s 45+2' equalizer — claiming the ball may have hit an aerial camera cable. 

FIFA has since addressed the incident and provided an official explanation.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Norway took the lead in the 36th minute thanks to a spectacular strike from Andreas Schjelderup, who gave the Norwegians the advantage with a shot that put England under pressure. However, in the closing moments of the first half, the play that changed the match took place.

Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland launched a long goal kick in an attempt to clear the danger, but the ball allegedly struck one of the cables used by the stadium’s aerial camera system. 

After the deflection, the ball fell near England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who quickly played it forward with Anthony Gordon down the left flank. 

The play continued uninterrupted until Bellingham received the ball in the heart of the Norwegian box and finished, following a cross from the new Barcelona player.

THE COMPLAINTS AND THE CONTROVERSY

The Red Vikings, including Erling Haaland, immediately protested to the referee, arguing that play should have been stopped because of the cable interference. Their appeals, however, were unsuccessful.

VAR had the ability to review the incident, and according to the regulations, the correct restart would have been a dropped ball. The controversy intensified because Bellingham’s goal was England’s only goal during the 90 minutes of regulation time, before the match was decided in extra time, with the English side advancing 1-2 thanks to Jude’s brace.

The incident sparked frustration within the Norwegian camp, especially from head coach Ståle Solbakken, who felt an officiating decision had influenced the final result.

In a tournament where VAR has played a major role, the incident has reopened the debate over the criteria used to intervene in key moments of the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA’S EXPLANATION

Football’s governing body moved to end the controversy with its official statement, once again putting the ball sensor technology in the spotlight, similar to the discussion surrounding Croatia’s disallowed goal against Portugal in the Round of 32.

“Before England’s goal in the 45+2 minute against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball did not show any spike in the ball’s ‘heartbeat’ while it was in the air, and therefore there is no evidence that the ball touched the aerial cable or changed the movement of the ball.”

Despite FIFA’s explanation, criticism continued on social media and inside the Norwegian locker room. Although they fell short of reaching the semifinals, Norway still made history in this tournament by reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.

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