FIFA has issued a technical clarification regarding England’s controversial equalising goal against Norway, confirming that data from the Connected Ball Technology showed no evidence that the ball struck the overhead wire before the goal.
The incident occurred in the 45+2 minute, when England found the equaliser in their dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash against Norway.
Questions were raised over whether the ball had made contact with an overhead wire while travelling through the air before the attacking sequence that led to England’s goal.
However, FIFA explained that the sensor embedded inside the official match ball recorded no peak in the “heartbeat of the ball” while it was airborne.
According to FIFA, the absence of such a signal meant there was no technical evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire or that its trajectory was altered by any external contact.
The Connected Ball Technology uses a high-precision sensor inside the match ball to track movement and detect physical contact, providing match officials with additional data when reviewing key incidents.
FIFA’s clarification therefore supports the decision to allow play to continue and the equalising goal to stand.
England eventually went on to defeat Norway 2-1 after extra time, securing their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Credit Photo : FIFA
