Accurate, but antithetical? How VAR flipped World Cup matches on their heads.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR), a review system first introduced at the FIFA Club World Cup in late 2016, is now in its 10th year. As the technology has grown more sophisticated, the precision of officiating has pushed past the limits of human judgment.

But has VAR actually made football better?

With just four teams remaining at the FIFA World Cup 2026, VAR has become one of the tournament's defining storylines. The technology has helped eliminate clear officiating errors, but several high-profile decisions have fueled fresh debate over whether it has crossed the line from correcting mistakes to reshaping matches.

Rule loopholes and mistaken identity

One of the most controversial incidents came during Switzerland's quarterfinal against Argentina at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri on Saturday.

Just five minutes after Switzerland pulled a goal back to level the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute, Breel Embolo was sent off under the mistaken-identity rule — a sequence triggered by an incorrect call from referee João Pinheiro.

The striker hit the deck on an apparent challenge by Argentina's Leandro Paredes, for which Pinheiro produced a yellow card.

VAR prompted a review that resulted in the referee rescinding Paredes's yellow card and brandishing one for Embolo for simulation.

Under FIFA rules, VAR can step in when a referee cards the wrong player. Ironically, had no card been shown in the first place, VAR would not have gotten involved.

Having already been cautioned in the first half, the Swiss striker was sent off for a second yellow card.

Down to 10 men, Switzerland eventually lost 3-1 to Argentina after extra time.

Goalkeeper protection, or too much intervention?

VAR also played a central role in one of the tournament's biggest upsets: Germany's exit in the Round of 32.

In the four-time champion's match against Paraguay at Boston Stadium on June 30, Jonathan Tah appeared to score the winning goal. Referee Jalal Jayed initially awarded the goal, then reversed course after being called to the monitor by the VAR team.

The goal was ruled out because Germany's Waldemar Anton was judged to have shoved Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill moments before the goal. The contact between the two players was so faint it was barely visible to the naked eye.

The decision traced back to guidance issued by Pierluigi Collina, the legendary referee who now chairs the FIFA Referees Committee, before the tournament. Although not part of the official Laws of the Game, the directive instructed referees to more strictly penalize players who impede goalkeepers through physical contact before reaching the ball.

Germany ultimately lost in a penalty shootout and were eliminated, giving way to a wave of criticism that VAR was overstepping.

Advanced sensors and football's lost romance

A third flashpoint came during Portugal's Round of 32 match against Croatia at Toronto Stadium in Canada on July 2 — a game where technology ultimately decided the outcome.

Trailing 1-2 in stoppage time, Croatia thought Josko Gvardiol had found a dramatic equalizer. But after a VAR review, the goal was overturned for offside.

Officials ruled that before Gvardiol's shot, the ball had made slight contact with Croatia's Igor Matanovic, who was standing in an offside position. Even television replays could not clearly detect the touch.

The decisive evidence came from a sensor embedded inside the match ball itself.

The inertial measurement unit inside the ball collects data 500 times per second, sensitive enough to detect even the slightest vibrations no human eye could catch.

After Croatia were eliminated because of the decision, coach Zlatko Dalic resigned and lamented the growing role of technology.

"Precision technology and officiating have taken away the raw joy football once had," he said.

BY CHANG HYE-SOO [[email protected]]