FIFA Denies Ball Hit Wire Before England Goal

FIFA has addressed controversy surrounding England's equalizing goal in their 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory over Norway. The governing body stated that "no evidence" suggests the ball hit an overhead wire before Jude Bellingham scored in the 45th minute plus injury time. Sensor data from the ball indicated no peak in its "heartbeat" when airborne, implying it did not change trajectory by contacting a wire. Play would have been stopped if hitting the wire had been observed. The VAR for the match was Jerome Brisard, who also officiated the Argentina-Egypt game. Earlier in the tournament, a ball sensor did rule out a Croatian goal due to offside. Norway's goalkeeper, Ørjan Nyland, took the goal kick that led to the disputed play. Frustration was visible from the Norwegian team, including star striker Erling Haaland, following the incident. This follows a separate match where Egypt disputed officiating after a goal was disallowed via VAR.