Jude Bellingham's goal and the 'spidercam' controversy: FIFA responds to Norway's protests

The World Cup quarter-final match between England and Norway will be remembered for an unexpected refereeing controversy. The goal scored by Jude Bellingham in a game that ended in a 2-1 victory for England sparked fierce protests from the Norwegians. The visitors claim the ball hit the spidercam wire above the pitch before the goal was scored, reports Goal.com reports .

In the incident that occurred in the 45+2nd minute, when Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland restarted play, the ball passed near the suspended camera wires. Subsequently, the ball reached Jude Bellingham via Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon, who then leveled the score. If it were proven that the ball had indeed touched the wire, according to FIFA rules, the goal should have been disallowed and the game restarted with a dropped ball.

Strong reaction from the Norwegian side

Members of the Norway national team and the coaching staff were unhappy with referee Clement Turpin's decision. Midfielder Sander Berge called the situation "simply ridiculous." In his opinion, such small details decided the fate of the match, and the result was unfair. Team captain Martin Odegaard also emphasized that the refereeing decisions did not work in their favor.

Head coach Stale Solbakken stated that he spoke with the referee during the break. "The referee said he did not see the ball hit the wire and received no signal about it. Those on the bench saw the ball's trajectory change sharply, as if it had dropped straight down from the sky. Our goalkeeper also confirmed this," said Solbakken.

What does the technology say?

FIFA issued an official statement to clarify the situation. As announced on the organization's social media pages, special sensors installed inside the match ball did not record any external impact. According to Goal.com, the sensor system known as the "heartbeat" of the ball showed no vibration or collision with the wire in the air.

Nevertheless, former England striker Wayne Rooney noted on BBC Sport that the ball's movement was suspicious. According to him, the ball unexpectedly changed direction in the air and dropped quickly. This may have created the visual possibility of it hitting the wire.

This victory sent England to the semi-finals, while for Norway, the tournament ended in a dramatic fashion. Although high technologies are used in the world of football, debates regarding the human factor and unexpected technical equipment remain relevant.