Norway were left furious after Jude Bellingham's equaliser for England in their World Cup quarter-final was allowed to stand, despite the ball hitting an overhead camera cable in the build-up to the goal. The incident occurred in the 36th minute when Norway's Andreas Schjelderup put his side ahead with what appeared to be a mis-hit cross. However, just before half-time, Bellingham pulled England level, sparking a major controversy.
Goal Build-Up Involves Camera Cable Interference
England's move began when Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took a goal kick. The ball struck one of the cables connected to the overhead spider cam at the Miami Stadium, causing it to change path and drop down to Elliot Anderson. Two passes later, Bellingham finished brilliantly past Nyland to equalise for England. The Norwegian bench and coaching staff immediately protested, arguing that the goal should not have stood.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken was seen remonstrating with French referee Clement Turpin after the half-time whistle, demanding that the decision be overturned. According to the International FA Board (IFAB), which oversees the laws of football, the referee should have stopped play and awarded a drop ball at the point where the ball hit the cable. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg explained on Fox Sports: 'Some will ask why did the VAR not interfere. Yes, they can intervene if the contact of the ball with the camera cable is part of the reviewable incident. An attacking phase of play leading to a goal is part of the VAR reviewable incident so it should have been picked up by the VAR.'
Norwegian Officials and Pundits React
Speaking at half-time, Norway’s assistant coach Kent Bergersen told TV2: 'Before the goal, Orjan hits the wire for the camera over the field, so the ball is shorter than it should have been. The referees should have looked into that.' Norwegian broadcaster TV2's pundits were equally unhappy. Kristoffer Lokberg said: 'If that ball hit the drone camera or a wire, this is a scandal, then it should have been a draw and not 1-1. I have no words. I have not witnessed anything like this before. If this becomes decisive, it will remain as one of the biggest World Cup scandals of all time.' Fellow analyst Erik Torp added: 'If it turns out that the ball hit the cable, we are in for the refereeing scandal of the ages, seen through Norwegian eyes.'
IFAB Rules on Ball Contact with Outside Agents
IFAB’s Law 8 clarifies that the ball is dropped for the team that would have retained or gained possession had play not been stopped, including the team that would have taken the restart in situations where the ball would have gone out of play. If play is stopped because the ball makes contact with a match official or an outside agent, the ball is dropped where the interference or contact occurred. In this case, the contact happened during the goal kick, meaning the drop ball should have been awarded to Norway, nullifying the subsequent goal.
The controversy has sparked debate about the use of spider cams in stadiums and whether VAR protocols adequately address such incidents. England's equaliser proved crucial in the match, which ended 1-1 after extra time, with England eventually winning on penalties to advance to the semi-finals. Norway's federation has since lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, demanding a review of the incident and potential changes to VAR procedures.
