The ball dropped sharply, suddenly, as if tugged by an invisible hand. It fell straight into the path of Elliot Anderson, who drove forward and set up Jude Bellingham to sweep England level just before half-time. But Norway's World Cup dream had already been dealt a blow they insist was illegal.
Norway's goalkeeper, Ørjan Håskjold Nyland, launched a goal-kick two minutes into first-half stoppage time in Miami. Replays showed the ball passing close to a spidercam cable suspended above the pitch. It then descended abruptly towards Anderson, who fed Anthony Gordon before Bellingham scored. Norway players immediately surrounded referee Clement Turpin, adamant the ball had struck the wire. Under the rules, that would have meant a dropped ball; the goal would not have stood.
“Norway cry 'scandal' as Jude Bellingham's equaliser for England is allowed to stand despite apparent spidercam interference.”
"It's ridiculous, this one with the wire," said Norway midfielder Sander Berge. "There are small margins and we know which way it went."
Norway captain Martin Ødegaard added: "Margins were not in our favour today with some of the decisions."
A new slow-motion clip from Canadian broadcaster TSN appeared to show the ball making contact. Andreas Schjelderup, who had put Norway ahead earlier, called it "a scandal".
FIFA released a statement saying 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". Norway manager Ståle Solbakken acknowledged FIFA's evidence but said: "Many on the bench reacted immediately. ... The ball dropped straight down from ... it did touch it."
Speaking on BBC Sport, former England striker Wayne Rooney said: "The ball seems to deviate and come down quickly."
Norway's frustration deepened when a second-half header from Torbjørn Heggem was ruled out by VAR after Erling Haaland was penalised for a shove on Anderson. "You get punished if you hold a player," Berge said.
England, who had trailed to Schjelderup's opener, went on to win 2-1 after Bellingham scored a second-half winner, sealing a semi-final spot. Norway's campaign ended in acrimony, convinced a wire had changed everything.