The Problem With VAR at the 2026 World Cup Isn’t the Technology—It’s Who Interprets It

The penultimate Round of 16 match at the 2026 World Cup between Argentina and Egypt was marked not just by exceptional goals, great saves, and fans devoted to their teams. The match also sparked one of the most widely discussed controversies surrounding the video assistant referee system, known as VAR, a technology designed to assist on-field officials in making fairer decisions, but whose use has been criticized for allegedly favoring certain teams.

Egypt was eliminated from the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Argentina, after having held a two-goal lead. The Egyptian Football Association argued that “the failure to properly use VAR” had influenced several refereeing decisions that affected the final score. Consequently, it filed a formal protest with FIFA to demand an investigation into the alleged inconsistencies.

In a statement posted on social media, the governing body of Egyptian soccer emphasized that “the Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions observed during the match against Argentina.” Several experts and specialized analysts, both locally and internationally, have pointed out controversial refereeing incidents that influenced the course of the match. This underscores the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in refereeing, particularly in a competition of the magnitude and importance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

Similar complaints—such as goals disallowed for offside calls that were not signaled on the field—have been a constant throughout this year’s World Cup. Some critics argue that, despite the use of technology, such plays are judged differently with the apparent intent of benefiting certain national teams. Others argue that VAR, in addition to disrupting the flow of the game, is a tool that could be used to adjust refereeing decisions and, once again, favor certain teams.

Amid these discussions, several questions arise. Can VAR technology alone guarantee fair decisions? Do the controversies stem from the system’s limitations or from its misuse? Are all referees participating in the 2026 World Cup truly trained to use this assistive tool?

VAR was first used in a World Cup during the 2018 tournament in Russia, after being incorporated into the Laws of the Game as “a support tool for the on-field refereeing team,” according to FIFA. Since then, the system has been implemented in more than 100 competitions around the world, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The platform has access to 42 broadcast cameras, eight of which provide super-slow-motion footage and four of which offer ultra-slow-motion footage. In addition, the system has access to feeds from cameras that use semi-automated technology to detect offsides, as well as all cameras from the FIFA host network.

All this information is made available to a refereeing team consisting of a video assistant referee and three assistants, who individually review different angles to make a decision in specific cases where VAR can intervene. Any potential anomalies or infractions are reported by the video assistant referee to the head referee, who receives the footage on the field to assess the possible infraction.

In the two previous World Cups, VAR assisted the head referees in reviewing goals and infractions leading to a goal; decisions on penalty kicks and the actions that led to them; direct red cards; and cases of mistaken identity.

For this edition of the World Cup, FIFA added new situations eligible for review. In principle, VAR can now intervene to correct clearly erroneous second yellow cards and prevent unjust send-offs. In addition, the system assists in detecting blocking, shoving, offsides, or offensive fouls prior to the taking of a free kick or corner kick.

Armando Archundia, a former Mexican World Cup referee, adds in an interview with WIRED en Español that features were also incorporated to detect infractions related to the so-called Prestianni-Vinícius Rule, which penalizes players with a direct red card for covering their mouth with their hand, their arm, or their jersey during a confrontation, as well as to prevent confusion between a corner kick and a goal kick.