‘We didn't get much help from the referee’ - Norway players lament calls from match officials

England fought back from a deficit to defeat Norway 2-1 after extra time and advance to the World Cup semi-finals.

Despite being the underdogs, Norway seized an unexpected lead when a cross from Schjelderup deflected in off the post. 

However, England mounted a comeback, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, including the decisive goal in extra time.

Bellingham's first goal, which levelled the score late in the first half, became a major point of contention. 

The Norwegian team alleged that the ball struck an overhead camera cable before the goal, which, under FIFA rules, should have resulted in a stoppage of play. 

FIFA has since dismissed these claims, stating there was no contact. Further compounding Norway's frustrations, a second-half goal by Torbjorn Heggem was disallowed after Erling Haaland was penalised for a foul in the build-up. 

These key decisions left a sour taste for the Norwegian side. "Unfortunately, the margins were against us, the odds were against us," Schjelderup said. 

"Some decisions by the referee were a bit bitter. If we lost fairly, it would have been a bit different."

Playmaker Martin Odegaard, one of Norway's standout performers, echoed his teammate's sentiments. "We didn't get much help from the referee," he commented. "The margins went against us, and we had a bit of bad luck."

When asked about the controversial lead-up to Bellingham's equaliser, Odegaard added, "I didn't see it myself. Margins were not in our favour today with some of the decisions. Maybe you need that in games like this."