The NFL’s SkyCam wire controversies have made their way to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England trailed Norway 1-0 late in the first half of their quarterfinal match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. English star Jude Bellingham tied the contest at 1-1 with an equalizer in the 2nd minute of stoppage time before the break.
The Three Lions may have been aided by a fortuitous touch from the SkyCam wire dangling above the pitch. One angle posted by FOX Sports showed Norwegian keeper Ørjan Nyland’s goal kick seemingly getting deflected by the wire and falling perfectly for an English attack that led to Bellingham’s goal.
For the benefit of those who haven’t seen the review of the ball hitting the camera cable before England’s equaliser on Fox Sports… pic.twitter.com/TQks5POkLe
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 11, 2026
FIFA Media later addressed the controversy and claimed that the ball’s sensors never detected any sort of deflection off the SkyCam wire.
Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball. pic.twitter.com/gYf9ukfveT
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 11, 2026
Norway also got an unlucky break in the second half, when a VAR review wiped away Torbjørn Heggem’s go-ahead goal. The officials ruled that Erling Haaland had pushed off a defender before the strike, to keep the game level at 1-1.
Bellingham thrust his team ahead for good with his second goal early in extra time, pushing England into the World Cup semifinals against defending champion Argentina. The 23-year-old may need to sort things out with England manager Thomas Tuchel before the two teams face off on Wednesday.
SkyCam wire drama has been quite common in the NFL in recent years, with several critical plays seemingly being impacted by the inconspicuous cables. Not even the FIFA World Cup was spared from such controversies.
