World Cup 2026: Most controversial VAR officiating decisions in group stage

From Iran’s stoppage-time victor ruled retired by VAR, to Ghana denied a punishment against England – each the controversies.

On-field officiating and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) produced immoderate arguable decisions during the 2026 World Cup radical signifier – successful immoderate cases, the exertion played a portion astatine yet denying teams a changeable astatine qualification to the knockouts oregon a captious victory.

Al Jazeera takes a look astatine the 5 of the astir debatable calls successful the radical stage:

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4South Africa and Canada unfastened World Cup circular of 32 – each to know
• list 2 of 4Who’s playing whom successful the World Cup 2026 last-32 knockout phase?
• list 3 of 4Iran bow retired of World Cup: Late play ends Team Melli’s knockout dream
• list 4 of 4FIFA World Cup Day 18: Knockout bracket acceptable arsenic circular of 32 gets nether way

VAR rules retired Khalilzadeh’s precocious goal, breaking Iranian hearts

One of the astir debatable refereeing calls came successful Iran’s 1-1 gully with Egypt connected Friday when, successful the 3rd infinitesimal of stoppage time, substitute Shoja Khalilzadeh’s extremity was disallowed aft a VAR check.

A chaotic solemnisation broke retired successful Seattle Stadium aft defender Khalilzadeh spectacularly poked the shot location from adjacent scope – a extremity that would person sent Iran into the knockouts for the archetypal clip – but Iranian joyousness rapidly turned into heartbreak erstwhile VAR said Khalilzadeh was offside successful the build-up. Replays showed it was a choky call, with Khalilzadeh offside by hardly a millimetre.

The video replay successful the stadium shows Shoja Khalilzadeh #4 of Iran arsenic offside erstwhile helium scored the 2nd goal, which was past disallowed, during their 1-1 gully with Egypt [Richard Heathcote/Getty Images/AFP]

Tight Sanchez offside telephone deprives Colombia of triumph implicit Portugal

In a breathless contest successful Miami connected Saturday, Davinson Sanchez thought helium had secured a stoppage-time triumph for Colombia implicit Portugal when, astatine the acold post, he headed location Juan Quintero’s cross. But earlier Sanchez could reel distant to the country emblem successful celebrations, the linesman raised the emblem for offside.

Replays of the extremity showed Sanchez was offside by a toe, which near Colombians feeling they were robbed of a triumph that could person maintained their 100 percent grounds astatine the tournament.

Ghana denied punishment against England successful goalless draw

While Ghana were lauded for their gutsy 0-0 gully with England connected Tuesday, their fans were near wondering: What if we were awarded a penalty? In the 79th infinitesimal of the crippled successful Boston, England’s Ezri Konsa appeared to bring down the charging Prince Kwabena Adu with a lunging tackle successful the box.

Making nary interaction with the ball, defender Konsa caught guardant Adu successful the knee, but the referee did not grant a penalty, a determination which could person fixed Ghana a accidental to instrumentality the lead. “VAR went for a coffee,” said a frustrated Carlo Queiroz, the Ghana coach, aft the match.

VAR disallows Vinicius Jr’s extremity successful Brazil’s triumph implicit Scotland

Vinicius Jr thought helium had doubled Brazil’s pb against Scotland successful the 22nd infinitesimal erstwhile helium took the shot disconnected defender Jack Hendry connected the borderline of the container and slotted it into the acold corner. But VAR recommended an on-field reappraisal to the referee, who subsequently ruled it out, claiming Vinicius fouled Hendry successful the build-up – a assertion that seemed arguable fixed the brushed contact.

Though Brazil went connected to triumph that crippled 3-0 successful Miami, Samir Xaud, the president of the Brazilian shot federation (CBF), wrote to FIFA later, requesting “consistent exertion of VAR involution standards and referee assignment considerations”.

Vincius Jr (#7), manager Carlo Ancelotti and the remainder of the Brazil squad were fuming implicit VAR’s determination to regularisation retired his extremity [Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP]

Ecuador frustrated arsenic Sane’s Germany extremity stands contempt foul

Although Germany lost 2-1 to Ecuador connected Thursday, the mode successful which Leroy Sane scored the Germans’ sole extremity was controversial.

Within 2 minutes of kickoff, Sane swept successful a first-time changeable from Florian Wirtz’s lay-off successful the area, but Ecuador were incensed that a foul was not fixed earlier successful the move, erstwhile Aleksandar Pavlovic caught Pedro Vite successful the caput with a precocious boot. VAR did not intervene, and the extremity stood.

Germany’s Aleksandar Pavlovic’s high-boot situation connected Ecuador’s Pedro Vite [Mike Segar/Reuters]