The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been embroiled in controversy following a number of questionable officiating choices which have left followers criticizing match officers and the usage of VAR.
The greatest VAR controversy of the event got here throughout Argentina‘s 3-2 Round of 16 victory over Egypt when Mostafa Ziko appeared to attain a objective that might have put his crew forward.
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In an sudden resolution, VAR dominated it out after recognizing a shirt pull and a problem by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez practically 20 seconds earlier within the buildup.
The resolution sparked outrage, with Egypt supervisor Hossam Hassan accusing FIFA of defending Lionel Messi and Argentina.
The Egyptian Football Association additionally filed a proper criticism, alleging inconsistent use of VAR.
Other controversial VAR choices in the course of the event got here within the England vs. Mexico, Germany vs. Paraguay, and United States vs. Belgium matches, together with the incident involving Folarin Balogun.
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FIFA Makes Major VAR Update
Amid these controversies, FIFA has modified how VAR operations will likely be carried out for the remainder of the event.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) scores the objective to tie the sport at 2-2. Tom Weller/dpa (Photo by Tom Weller/image alliance through Getty Images)
Instead of relying solely on the centralized Video Operation Room on the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Dallas, each remaining World Cup match will now have a devoted VAR crew working from contained in the stadium.
FIFA will assign each a major VAR official and a reserve VAR official on-site for every recreation.
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The new protocol has already come into impact initially of the quarterfinals.
Collina Defends VAR Decision in Argentina vs. Egypt
Following the backlash over the Argentina-Egypt match, FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, defended the officers and dismissed claims questioning the integrity of the event.
“Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right,” he mentioned.
This story was initially printed by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2026, the place it first appeared within the Soccer part. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.