World Cup quarterfinal controversy: Did ball hit camera cable before England's goal?

A controversy has erupted in the World Cup quarterfinal between England and Norway over a key moment in the match. During first-half stoppage time, Jude Bellingham equalized to make it 1-1, and later scored the winner in extra time, securing a 2-1 victory for England. However, Norway's players and coaches believe that before Bellingham's goal, the ball may have hit a television camera cable stretched above the pitch, altering its trajectory.

FIFA responded during the match on social media, stating that its data does not confirm any contact with the cable. The ball is equipped with a sensor used to detect handball incidents, and it did not register any touch. FIFA released a graph showing no peak in the ball's 'heartbeat' while airborne, indicating no contact.

Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken admitted he did not see the contact himself but said his team was convinced it happened. He noted that the referee saw nothing and received no information, so the goal stood. England coach Thomas Tuchel commented that the chip in the ball can detect even a hair's touch, and FIFA data showed no contact.

German TV expert Patrick Ittrich explained that according to the rules, if the ball hits a foreign object, play should be stopped and restarted with a dropped ball, but only if the contact affected play. In his view, no such impact was evident, so the referee's decision to award the goal was correct.