England’s controversial equaliser against Norway in the FIFA World Cup quarter-final has been upheld after FIFA said match technology found no evidence that the ball struck an overhead camera cable before Jude Bellingham scored.
Norway players and coach Stale Solbakken argued that goalkeeper Orjan Nyland‘s long clearance clipped a spidercam cable, causing the ball to drop unexpectedly and helping England launch the attack that led to Bellingham’s first goal. FIFA, however, said data from the tournament’s Connected Ball technology showed no contact with any external object during the move.
The incident, dubbed «Cablegate» by fans and media, sparked widespread debate over the reliability of officiating technology. While Norwegian officials remain unconvinced, FIFA’s findings allowed the goal to stand. England went on to defeat Norway 2-1 after extra time, with Bellingham scoring the winner to send the Three Lions into the World Cup semi-finals.
