According to reports, a denied penalty for Ghana against England, a disallowed goal for Scotland against Brazil, and disputed decisions in Germany’s match have intensified the debate over the standards and application of VAR.
Statistics suggest that the intervention rate of VAR in the World Cup is roughly similar to that seen in last season’s Premier League. However, criticism is growing over the lack of consistency in different types of decisions.
🚨 Roy Keane Doesn t Hold Back After Iran s Controversial VAR Heartbreak:
— Sage (@Sage_FCB) June 27, 2026
🗣️ “I don t want to hear anyone telling me VAR is making football better after watching that. If that s the standard at a World Cup, we re in trouble.
The whole point of the technology is to stop obvious… pic.twitter.com/2RhKZZkY1P
FIFA’s Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina stated that football is a physical contact sport and not every contact should be considered a foul. He added that the World Cup has adopted a policy aimed at maintaining the flow of the game and avoiding unnecessary interruptions.
Ghana’s coach Carlos Queiroz sarcastically commented on the denied penalty against England, saying, “The VAR went for a coffee break,” while former referees and analysts have also described some of the decisions as surprising.
Meanwhile, in the Germany vs Ecuador match, VAR’s silence on a high boot by a German player and the later cancellation of a German penalty have also been labeled contradictory.
Football analysts say that maintaining the principle of “minimum interference, maximum benefit” is not easy, and inconsistent decisions during the tournament have raised new concerns about VAR’s application.
