FIFA has confirmed the validity of Jude Bellingham's equalising goal for England against Norway in the quarter-final of the 2026 World Cup, following controversy sparked by footage appearing to show the ball making contact with an overhead spider-cam cable before the goal was scored.
FIFA wrote on its X account: "Prior to England's goal in the 45+2nd minute against Norway, the ball sensor — the technology used in the World Cup match ball 'Triunda' — showed no evidence while the ball was in the air that it had touched the overhead cable or that its trajectory had been altered."
The footage prompted widespread debate and questions over the goal's validity, given that had the ball struck an overhead camera cable inside the stadium, the goal would have been disallowed due to the intervention of an external factor — before FIFA ultimately confirmed the goal stood.
Social media users had widely shared footage of the ball after Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland kicked it from a goal kick, with the ball then dropping in front of an England player who launched the attack from which Bellingham scored the equaliser.
England defeated Norway 2-1 after extra time, having been level 1-1 at the end of normal time, to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, where they await the winner of the Argentina vs Switzerland match.