Jude Bellingham scored England’s equalizer (Image: Getty)
Jude Bellingham’s first-half leveller against Norway in the World Cup should not have stood through a little-known FIFA rule, with VAR missing another infraction at the tournament in North America. England slipped a goal down midway through the opening 45 minutes of play, with Andreas Schjelderup finding the back of Jordan Pickford’s net with what appeared to be a cross.
While there were claims that Harry Kane was fouled in the build-up, and that VAR should have intervened to rule out the strike, referee Clement Turpin took no action and allowed the goal to stand. Bellingham ultimately came to his nation’s rescue as the first-half drew to a close, showing off incredible strength and silky footwork to hold off Norway’s defence before slotting home from close range. However, the goal should not have stood as per FIFA’s rules of the tournament.
Orjan Nyland seemingly clipped a camera cable with his goal kick at the start of the process, before the ball was picked up by Elliot Anderson in the middle of the park. Anderson then found Anthony Gordon, who in-turn squared the ball to Bellingham ahead of the goal.
However, FIFA rules state that a drop ball should be played in the event of a ball hitting a camera cable during play, meaning that Bellingham’s goal should not have stood. The correct process would have seen VAR intervene in the aftermath of Bellingham’s finish, to advise Turpin on the correct course of action.
However, that didn’t happen, with the game resuming at 1-1. Mark Clattenburg explained the rule during FOX’s live broadcast of the match. He told viewers: “VAR can interfere if that contact of the ball on the camera cable is part of a reviewable incident, an attacking phase of play leading to a goal is part of the var reviewable incident. It should have been picked up the VAR.”
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Jude Bellingham has now scored five World Cup goals for England (Image: Getty)
It comes just days after another controversial VAR decision altered the flow of play during Argentina’s round of 16 clash with Egypt. Already holding a 1-0 lead thanks to Yasser Ibrahim’s early goal, Mostafa Ziko scored what would have been one of the finishes of the tournament.
Lisandro Martinez was dispossessed deep into the Egyptian half, with Haissem Hassan running the length of the pitch and beating two opponents in the process. From there, he squared the ball to Mohamed Salah, who, in-turn, threaded the ball through to Ziko in the Argentina box, firing past Emi Martinez with ease.
However, VAR intervened soon-after, deeming Martinez to have been fouled as the ball was taken off him, and ultimately ruling out the goal which should have put Egypt 2-1 up. That decision left Alan Shearer furious as he picked apart the incident in a recent instalment of The Rest Is Football.
He said: “The reason why, I guess, so many people will get angry is because, as much as I don’t think the Salah incident in the penalty box was a penalty, as much as I don’t think the shirt pull in the box was a penalty, that same logic applies for that free-kick which was given.
“So, if you’re going to give that one, then there’s a huge argument to say well one of those has to be…If you’re giving that as a foul, you’re actually going 110 yards back, and saying, ‘Sorry that was a foul, we’re going to disallow one of the best goals of the tournament.’
“I think, and I can say what I want on here; I think it’s utter and complete b***cks. I really do. No wonder there’s so many theories about, ‘It stinks.’ You’ve got the top four in the world rankings, England, France, Spain and Argentina.
“If they win their group, then it’s guaranteed they can’t meet each other until a semi-final. You’ve got interference from presidents making calls, and then you get that in that game because of Argentina. You think, ‘No wonder.’ You can’t blame people for coming up with these theories, can you?”