England got away with a lucky bounce of the ball - literally - in the lead up to Jude Bellingham's equaliser and the goal should have been ruled out after a bizarre incident.
In the lead up to Bellingham's goal, a goal kick from Norway's Orjan Nyland, the ball appeared to hit the cable over the pitch that holds the overhead TV camera in place and fell down sharply into the path of Elliot Anderson and two passes later the ball was with Bellingham who scored.
According to the official IFAB Laws of the Game, if the ball strikes a ceiling or a fixture hanging over the pitch, such as a cable or overhead camera, and remains inside the field of play, the match must be halted.
Jude Bellingham's goal for England should have been chalked off and given as a drop ball, leading to protest from Norway's Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup
The referee should then award a dropped ball to the team that last touched the ball, with play restarting from the spot where the ball made contact with the fixture.
Via Fox Sports coverage, former referee Mark Clattenburg said that any instance of the ball touching the TV cable should result in the match being halted.
As relayed by Rebecca Lowe, Clattenburg said: "If the ball touches any outside object, then the whistle should go, and it should be a drop ball."
The former referee then added: "Some will ask, why does the VAR not interfere?
"They can interfere, if that contact [with the cable] is part of a reviewable incident."
He concluded: "An attacking phase of play leading to a goal is a part of VAR's reviewable incidents, so it should have been picked up by VAR."
Ahead of extra time, Fox presenter Lowe reported that FIFA denied that the ball hit the cable.
FIFA are understood to have checked the data within the football and that there was no peak on the graph from the connected ball heartbeat sensor.
The Adidas footballs being used at the tournament are each fitted with a chip and utilise 'connected ball technology', which relays data directly to the VAR system.
The microchip produces accurate, instantaneous data on everything from ball movement, speed and trajectory to player touches, with adidas claiming the technology enables 'faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before.'
But at the time, Erling Haaland led vocal protests directed at the referee due to the ball striking the cable, but it was not ruled out.
Norway looked much better after the first hydration break and took the lead via an astonishing finish from Andreas Schjelderup, whose cross translated into the top corner of the goal and over Jordan Pickford.
Norway should have gone 2-0 up before the break when Alexander Sorloth broke free and should have played in Erling Haaland.
But minutes later England were level thanks to Bellingham's excellent finish.
England were also the beneficiaries of a Norway goal being chalked off in the second half.
Haaland was deemed to have shoved future Manchester City team-mate Elliot Anderson in the build-up to a set piece goal from the Norwegians.
The game went into extra time and England went ahead when Bellingham grabbed his second of the game to put England into the semi-final.
