Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken spoke about the controversial build-up to Jude Bellingham’s equalizer against England, insisting it was “very clear” that the ball had hit the overhead camera cable before the goal. The incident happened late in the first half in Norway FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat, when goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland launched a goal kick that appeared to hit a camera wire suspended above the pitch. England quickly regained possession, and Bellingham finished the move to level the scores. Nyland and Solbakken immediately appealed to the referee, believing that the match should have been stopped. However, the protests were dismissed, and the goal stood. Television replays appeared to show the ball making contact with the cable. FIFA, however, later maintained that “there is no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.” Explaining the referee’s response, Solbakken said the official was not aware of any contact. “He said he didn’t see it himself and he didn’t get any message that it actually happened.” “Because FIFA said no touch, I couldn’t do anything about it. But the ball fell straight in front of the bench, so it happened. Under the Laws of the Game, if the referee or the match officials determine that the ball has touched an external object such as an overhead cable, the game must be stopped and restarted with the dropped ball. As the officials did not detect any contact, play continued without interruption and England capitalized by scoring. Despite his disappointment, Solbakken refused to dwell on the incident, choosing instead to praise his players for their efforts throughout the tournament. “I can sit here and cry but I don’t want to do that. We did everything we could – the players have been fantastic throughout the tournament. OK it’s strange, but it’s about football and why it’s the best game in the world because things like that can happen. We have to accept it,” he said. The Norwegian boss also felt the unexpected trajectory of the ball after the alleged contact caused confusion among his players in a decisive moment. “It was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight from the sky, so it led in this direction. It became a misunderstanding with our players, and it was a bad moment for us. We can’t do anything about that. I don’t think we will play the game again, so that’s how it is,” he added. England eventually won 2-1 after extra time, with Bellingham scoring both goals to send the Three Lions into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.