Jude Bellingham found himself at the centre of controversy on a day when he put on a match-defining performance that propelled England into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals. The midfielder scored a brace to help his team edge Norway in a competitive knockout battle at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. A few minutes after Andreas Schjelderup broke the deadlock for the Vikings, Bellingham equalised with a brilliant effort inside the box, pulling England back into the contest.
While it appeared to be a clean strike, questions were asked after footage of the build-up circulated on social media. Before Bellingham had scored the goal, the ball seemingly hit the spider camera. Many fans, and even Norway coach Stale Solbakken, argued that the connection had led the ball to change its direction. In such a situation, the referee would stop the play immediately, but Bellingham’s goal was allowed to stand.
What happened in Jude Bellingham’s first goal vs Norway?
Norway boss Solbakken was furious after the game, claiming Bellingham’s equaliser should have been disallowed due to the cable assist. The VAR panel also evaluated the event, but concluded that the sensor inside the ball showed no spike, meaning it didn’t touch the aerial camera.
“That was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. It became a misunderstanding among our players, and it was in a bad moment for us, but we can’t do anything about that. I don’t think we will play the game again, so that’s how it is,” Solbakken said at the post-match press conference.
Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the ‘heartbeat of the ball’ when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball. pic.twitter.com/gYf9ukfveT
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 11, 2026
‘Norway Have Been Cheated’: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The Vikings had almost restored their lead in the second half, but their goal was disallowed due to a foul made by Erling Haaland. The Norway striker pushed Elliot Anderson to the ground during a corner. The VAR reviewed the challenge and dismissed the goal.
Referring to the call, former Manchester United coach and one of the most celebrated figures in Norway football, Ole Gunner Solskjaer said, “Norway have been cheated. I don’t say that lightly, but I genuinely don’t understand how that goal has been disallowed.”
“I watched the replay several times, and I don’t see enough contact from Erling Haaland on Anderson to justify canceling the goal. Football is a physical game. Players are allowed to compete for position. If we’re going to disallow goals for every slight touch, then we’ll be ruling out goals every weekend,” he explained further.
Norway managed a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, but Bellingham struck again in the extra time to seal a 2-1 victory for the Three Lions.
