Norwegians are contesting the validity of England’s first goal in the World Cup quarterfinal, scored by Jude Bellingham in the 45+2 minute, arguing that the goal should not have counted. The incident arose when the ball reached the English players after hitting a cable supporting the suspended camera above the field.
In the match between Norway and England, it was the Scandinavians who initially scored with Schjelderup netting at the 36-minute mark. Their aim was to maintain the lead until halftime; however, Bellingham’s late goal equalized the score.
Goalkeeper Nyland’s clearance resulted in the ball falling to Elliot Anderson, who advanced and passed to Anthony Gordon. The left winger then set up Jude Bellingham in the penalty area, where the Real Madrid midfielder controlled the ball, dribbled, and scored.
Norwegian players protested, though the specifics of their complaint regarding the goal remained unclear. FOX Sports, which broadcasts the tournament in English in the United States, clarified that during Nyland’s clearance, the ball appeared to strike one of the cables supporting FIFA’s sky cam.
This contact is believed to have caused the ball to drop unexpectedly at Anderson’s feet, but referee Clement Turpin and the VAR officials did not intervene, much to Norway’s displeasure.
Controversy of the Night: Ball Strikes Cable Before Jude Bellingham Scores for England!
“Right before the goal, the ball hits the cable supporting the camera, causing a change in direction, making it drop earlier than it should have,” protested Kent Bergersen, Norway’s assistant coach.
The Laws of the Game state that if an “external object” enters the field during a match and interferes with play, the referee must stop the game and resume it with a referee’s ball from the location of the stoppage.
Mark Clattenburg, FOX’s officiating expert, confirmed that “if the ball touches any external object, the referee must blow the whistle and stop play.”
According to journalist Mike Keegan from the Daily Mail, FIFA indicated that the Connected Ball technology, which had disallowed a goal from Croatia against Portugal, did not register any contact with the ball at that moment, thus VAR did not intervene.
