Was Jude Bellingham assisted by spidercam? FIFA address controversial incident in England World Cup clash - with Norway fuming at ‘ridiculous’ decision

Norway's exit was accompanied by frustration as they felt Bellingham's equaliser should have been disallowed for an unusual reason. The Norwegians claimed the ball struck one of the spidercam wires in the build-up to a crucial goal in Miami. Had it been determined that the ball had touched a wire, the effort would have been ruled out and play restarted with a dropped ball.

"It's ridiculous, this one with the wire," Norway and Fulham midfielder Sander Berge said after the game. "[The result] 2-1 says itself – there are small margins and we know which way it went." Norway captain Martin Odegaard also questioned the refereeing calls in the last-eight tie. "I didn't see it myself [the incident], but margins were not in our favour today with some of the decisions," he said. "Maybe you need that in games like this."

Replays showed Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland's goal kick passing close to the spidercam cable suspended above the playing surface. The ball then fell for Elliot Anderson, who fed Anthony Gordon before the England winger passed for Bellingham to drive on to the ball and calmly score.

Several Norway players immediately surrounded referee Clement Turpin, arguing the goal should not have stood. Head coach Stale Solbakken was seen talking to the match official at half-time. Of the decision, Solbakken said: "He [the referee] says that he didn't see it himself and that he didn't get any message that it actually happened. That's a good explanation and since FIFA says there was no touch and there was no signal from the chip of the ball, then he can't do anything about it. The ball fell straight down, right in front of the bench, so it did touch it. Many on the bench reacted immediately. I was not one of them, but many of them saw it."

Solbakken added: "I cant say anything about that because if there was no sound from the chip, what can I say? The ball dropped down straight from heaven, says everyone – including the goalie, including the guy who was going to receive the ball. I think it was pretty clear that it did. It was a strange thing."

FIFA later said there was "no evidence" the ball had touched a wire. FIFA Media posted on X: "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."

Speaking on BBC Sport, former England striker Wayne Rooney added: "The ball seems to deviate and come down quickly. It sort of deviates the ball."

The Snickometer-style technology, usually associated with cricket, had already been at the centre of controversy at this tournament during Portugal's dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the last 32. England head coach Thomas Tuchel said: "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]. I didn't see [the incident]." Tuchel did however admit that his side had been fortuitous overall at key times, stating: "I'm not saying we are lucky to win, but we are lucky in decisive moments."