OffsAIde
·13. Juli 2026
Elliot Anderson controversy grows as FIFA release ball data after Norway fury

In partnership with
Yahoo sportsOffsAIde
·13. Juli 2026

England reached the World Cup semi-final with a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway, but controversy surrounded Elliot Anderson’s part in Jude Bellingham’s equaliser. The match featured multiple VAR interventions, including an overturned England penalty.
In first-half stoppage time, replays suggested a Norway goal kick from Orjan Nyland brushed the overhead camera wire before dropping to Anderson, who controlled and fed Anthony Gordon to tee up Bellingham. FIFA said after the game that connected ball data showed no sign of contact in the air.
Under the Laws of the Game, play should restart with a dropped ball if it touches an outside agent, including suspended cameras. Norway protested immediately, and manager Stale Solbakken confronted referee Clement Turpin at half-time as Orjan Nyland and Erling Haaland pointed skywards.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, working as a pundit, felt the move should have been checked as part of the attacking phase of play.
Later, Torbjorn Heggem’s finish for Norway was overturned by VAR for a Haaland push on Anderson before a corner. Andreas Schjelderup called the foul very soft and felt robbed.
Source: Nottingham Post







































