FIFA deny Spidercam impacted Jude Bellingham's opening goal for England against Norway - 'No evidence'

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FIFA insist there is “no evidence” that England’s opening goal in their 2026 World Cup quarter-final victory against Norway struck one of the Spidercam wires in the build-up. Football’s governing body uploaded a replay of the incident before Jude Bellingham’s goal alongside the audio from their ball chip technology that seems to show no impact.

England's midfielder #10 Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup football tournament quarter-final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium in Miami on July 11, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)

Image credit: Getty Images

According to The Athletic, Norway were ”fuming” that the goal was not disallowed, as it was the moment that took the game to extra time where England ultimately prevailed thanks to a second Bellingham strike.

The outlet reported that Norway assistant coach Kent Bergersen told TV2 at half-time: "Just before the goal, the ball hits the cable with the camera on it, causing it to change direction and fall shorter than it should have.

"The referee should have spotted that. There is nothing we can do about it now. We will just have to grit our teeth and get on with it."

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Erling Haaland and goalkeeper Orjan Nyland both pointed towards the camera as England celebrated, while Norway manager Stale Solbakken looked unimpressed with referee Clement Turpin at half-time.

However, FIFA responded through an X post, which said: "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."

FIFA employed the same technology to controversially rule out Croatia’s injury-time equaliser against Portugal in the round of 16, though former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told the BBC: "Snicko... that 100% proves that he touched it with the flick-on".

Bellingham’s opener began with Nyland launching a goal kick upfield, and it fell into no-man’s land on the left side of the pitch, where Elliot Anderson beat Alexander Sorloth to the loose ball.

The new Manchester City signing then fed Anthony Gordon, who played a gutsy ball to Bellingham, and the 23-year-old surged through the Norway defence and fired past Nyland to equalise.

Nyland’s goal kick did seem to take Sorloth by surprise as it landed well short of the Atletico Madrid striker, though the Norwegian FA are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

This remains Norway’s most successful major tournament ever as they won a knockout game for the first time and claimed more wins this summer in North America than in all their previous World Cup and European Championship appearances combined.

However, they fell short of a fairytale semi-final appearance as England advance to Atlanta - the scene of their nervy round-of-32 triumph against DR Congo - to face either Argentina or Switzerland.

While Nyland may feel aggrieved at England’s opener, he shouldered the blame for the winning goal as he spilled Morgan Rogers’ shot from distance straight into Bellingham’s path, with the Real Madrid superstar making no mistake and booking England’s place in the final four.

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