Miami: England advance to World Cup semi-finals amid spidercam controversy
Controversy Surrounds England’s Equaliser
England secured a victory over Norway in their World Cup 2026 quarter-final match in Miami, advancing to the semi-finals. However, the match was marked by controversy surrounding Jude Bellingham’s equalising goal. Norway players and coaching staff claimed the ball struck a spidercam wire in the build-up to the goal, arguing it should have been disallowed.
According to Norway midfielder Sander Berge, the incident with the wire was “ridiculous.” Norway captain Martin Odegaard also questioned the refereeing decisions, stating that “margins were not in our favour today with some of the decisions.” Had it been determined that the ball touched a wire, the goal would have been ruled out and play restarted with a dropped ball.
The incident occurred in first-half stoppage time after Andreas Schjelderup had given Norway the lead. Replays showed Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland’s goal kick passing close to the spidercam cable. The ball then fell to Elliot Anderson, who passed to Anthony Gordon, leading to Bellingham’s goal.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken spoke with the match official at half-time. The referee reportedly stated he did not see the incident and received no message that it occurred. Solbakken maintained that the ball dropped “straight from heaven,” suggesting an external influence.
Fifa later released a statement indicating “no evidence” the ball had touched a wire. Fifa Media posted on X that the sensor in the connected ball showed no peak in its ‘heartbeat’ when in the air, thus providing no evidence of contact with the overhead wire or a change in the ball’s movement.
This type of technology, similar to cricket’s Snickometer, was previously central to a controversy during Portugal’s victory over Croatia in the last 32, where a goal was disallowed due to a slight touch detected by the technology.
Manager and Player Reactions to Performance
England head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that his side had been fortunate in decisive moments during the match. He stated, “I’m not saying we are lucky to win, but we are lucky in decisive moments.”
Despite the victory, Tuchel expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s technical performance, describing it as “sloppy.” He told reporters that he was not “100 per cent happy with the way we played,” suggesting the team could play faster and more clinically, and highlighting “too many unforced errors and technical mistakes.”
Bellingham, who scored both goals in the 2-1 extra-time victory, dismissed Tuchel’s assessment. When informed of his manager’s comments, Bellingham responded, “Yeah well, whatever. It’s a tough shift, so my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who’ve put a tough shift out there.”
Bellingham further suggested that Tuchel might not fully understand the physical demands of playing against strong opponents like Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, and Alexander Sorloth in challenging conditions. He emphasised that winning “dirty” is sometimes necessary in a tournament setting.
The match was described as a gruelling affair, with several players reportedly struggling in the Florida humidity. Declan Rice, for instance, was noted to have lacked his usual energy due to illness in the lead-up to the game.
Bellingham’s two goals against Norway brought his tournament tally to six, placing him level with Harry Kane. He is currently two goals behind the top scorers Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi as the competition progresses.
VAR Decisions and Tournament Integrity Concerns
Beyond the spidercam incident, Norway also felt aggrieved by a VAR decision in the second half. A header from Torbjorn Heggem was disallowed after a review penalised Erling Haaland for a shove on Elliot Anderson during a corner kick.
Sander Berge commented on this, stating, “It’s an advantage to be as big and physically strong as Erling, but you get punished if you hold a player.”
The use of technology and refereeing decisions have sparked broader discussions about the integrity of the tournament. Questions have been raised regarding the consistency of Fifa’s technology, particularly in light of the differing outcomes in the Norway and Croatia incidents.
Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin also voiced strong criticism after a VAR intervention led to Breel Embolo’s sending off in their quarter-final match against Argentina, leaving his team a man down for a significant portion of the game. Yakin stated, “It’s completely not understandable. I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.”
These incidents contribute to ongoing debates about the balance between technological intervention and the flow of the game, as well as perceptions of fairness in major tournaments. England will now prepare for their semi-final match against Argentina.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
As News GB's Senior Football Correspondent, Lewis Hartnell reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on south-coast football for a regional title. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Solent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Lewis lives in Southampton, where he watches youth football and follows the transfer market. “The week's training ground decides the weekend's headlines.”
