​MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A goal kick late in the first half of the England-Norway World Cup quarterfinal appeared to brush a cable suspended over the field. The incident occurred just before England’s Jude Bellingham converted the ensuing opportunity to level the score. By the laws of the game, if officials had determined the ball had touched the cable, play would have been halted and a drop ball would have been used to determine possession. However, the match continued without an interruption, and it was not clear whether the video assistant referee, Jerome Brisard, reviewed the play. Brisard also served as VAR for the Argentina-Egypt quarterfinal, a game in which Argentina came from behind to win 3-2, while Egypt contended that the officiating was unfair.
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took the kickoff for the sequence in question. The ball’s trajectory shifted seconds into the play, suggesting it may have brushed one of the cables used to suspend a robotic camera. After the change in direction, the ball remained with England, and within a few moments it was played to Bellingham. The England midfielder then struck a low shot to the far post, beating Nyland for a goal.
Nyland expressed his frustration by slamming the turf, and he, along with Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland and head coach Stale Solbakken, exchanged words with referee Clement Turpin of France following the incident and as the first half neared its end.
In the Argentina-Egypt match, a goal by Egypt was wiped off the board in the 58th minute after a VAR review determined that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez, a decision that intensified the discussion around officiating in the playoff rounds.
This World Cup narrative continues to emphasize the evolving role of technology and refereeing in marathon matches whose outcomes may hinge on millimeters and milliseconds, as managers, players, and fans alike scrutinize every call for fairness and accuracy. As the tournament progresses, officials and federations face ongoing debates about how best to integrate VAR, track-ball interference with equipment, and maintain the flow of play while ensuring the integrity of outcomes.
For more World Cup coverage and updates, AP provides continuing reporting and analysis across all the matches and moments that shape the tournament, with attention to the technical, tactical, and human elements that influence the competition on the biggest international stage.