Norway's World Cup adventure over after drama – Nyland in tears
Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Norway's World Cup journey ended in a dramatic 2-1 extra-time loss to England, with controversial refereeing decisions heavily influencing the quarterfinal match.
- Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal for England in the first period of extra time.
- The Norwegian camp believes questionable calls, including a disallowed goal and a penalty decision that was overturned, cost them the victory.
Norway's World Cup dream was extinguished in a dramatic quarterfinal clash against England, ending 2-1 after extra time, with the Norwegian camp pointing to several questionable refereeing decisions as pivotal moments. The match, held in Miami, saw Jude Bellingham score the decisive goal for England.
All great players hope that the keeper slips on such balls. Bellingham does it and is rewarded for his gamble.
The Norwegian side felt hard done by throughout the game. They claim that goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland's goal kick was impeded by a camera wire before England's equalizer. Later, Torbjørn Heggem's goal, which would have put Norway ahead 2-1 in the second half, was disallowed by VAR due to a perceived foul by Erling Haaland. Norwegian commentators expressed strong frustration over these calls.
We were lucky today.
Adding to the controversy, England was initially awarded a penalty late in the game after a challenge between Djed Spence and Oscar Bobb. However, the referee overturned the decision after a VAR review, awarding a five-meter kick instead. These decisions, coupled with the disallowed Norwegian goal, fueled the belief within the Norwegian camp that they were unfairly treated.
Stop messing around! Now I feel like saying something nasty, but I won't.
Despite the controversies, Norway had taken a stunning lead in the 36th minute through a spectacular long-range strike from Andreas Schjelderup. The score remained 1-1 at halftime, with Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken visibly furious with the officiating. In extra time, Bellingham capitalized on a rebound from Nyland's save to score the winning goal, ending Norway's World Cup campaign and sending England to the semifinals.
It's just insane that something like that can happen. The referees can't have noticed it. Then Norway would have had to storm the pitch for them to notice it. If the wire stops the ball, then the ball should be dropped. It's extra bitter.
Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.