MIAMI, USA: Even as they prepare to face defending champions Argentina in the second semifinal of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, England find themselves in the midst of a controversy. This is related to the equaliser they scored against Norway in their quarterfinal, a game which they went on to win 2-1 after being a goal down.
For context, Norway had taken the advantage via a stunning strike from Andreas Schjelderup from the left flank in the 36th minute. England were looking to make their way back into the game, and found the back of the net via star midfielder Jude Bellingham in stoppage time of the first half. However, the circumstances that led to the scoring of this goal have been under immense scrutiny in the FIFA World Cup.
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland hit an aerial goal kick up and wide towards his attackers, but the ball seemed to drop down sharply after having seemingly hit something in the air. The ball landed quickly – unfortunately for Norway – at the feet of England’s Elliot Anderson. The Three Lions burst forward at a canter, with Anthony Gordon teeing up Bellingham in the final third, after which the latter fired it across Nyland to equalise.
Soon after this goal was scored, Norway players complained to referee Clement Turpin, but to no avail. All their pleas fell on deaf ears even as the referee blew the whistle at the end of the half, not soon afterwards. However, replays during and after the game suggested that the ball had indeed touched the camera wires located above the playing area and dropped down quickly at Anderson’s feet.
As per FIFA rules, the ball should have been declared out of play, but the governing body said that they had checked the ‘ball heartbeat sensor’ and discerned no spike in it. This meant that there was no confirmation on whether the ball had, in fact, touched the wire or not. However, replays suggested evidence to the contrary, and quite naturally, Norway’s supporters were livid with this apparent injustice shown towards their team.
You can see a video of the controversy here:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has had several controversies already
This adds further fuel to the fire of a FIFA World Cup already filled with several controversies, most notably the clear penalty denied to Mohamed Salah in Egypt’s 2-3 loss to Argentina in the round of 16. As for the game between the Three Lions and the Vikings, the governing body stated that England beat Norway fair and square in the quarterfinal and have now qualified for the semifinal.
The Three Lions will meet Argentina in the second semifinal of this tournament on Wednesday, July 15. The first semifinal saw Spain pull off a shock 2-0 victory over firm favourites France, and La Roja now await being informed of their opponents in the big final on Sunday, July 19. Interestingly, Spain have conceded just one goal in seven outings so far in this FIFA World Cup.
Against the Lionel Messi-led Argentina, England will have a challenging task. However, they can count upon the services of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to deliver when it matters the most, and when they will be sorely needed to stand up for their side. The duo have a combined 14 goal contributions for Thomas Tuchel’s team so far at this FIFA World Cup.
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