England-Norway World Cup quarterfinal marred by VAR rulings

England’s 1-1 draw with Norway in a World Cup quarterfinal on July 11, 2026, was overshadowed by two major officiating controversies, one surrounding England’s equalizer and another involving a disallowed Norwegian goal. The match, played in Miami, saw England’s Jude Bellingham cancel out Andreas Schjelderup’s first-half opener just before halftime, but replays later indicated the buildup to the goal may have involved an irregularity. Footage appeared to show the ball from a Norwegian goal kick striking an overhead camera cable before dropping to England’s Elliot Anderson, who initiated the move that led to Bellingham’s finish. According to the International Football Association Board laws, if the ball strikes a fixture like a cable and remains in play, the match should be stopped and a dropped ball awarded to the team that last touched it, potentially nullifying the goal. FIFA reportedly checked data from the tournament’s connected ball technology and found no abnormal sensor reading from the incident.

Earlier in the match, Norway thought it had taken a 2-1 lead in the 55th minute when Torbjørn Heggem scored from a corner, but the goal was disallowed following a Video...