The 2026 World Cup has been dominated by disputes over video‑assistant referee (VAR) decisions. U.S. President Donald Trump intervened to overturn a one‑match ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, prompting the disciplinary committee to replace a red‑card suspension with a conditional sanction for the Bosnia‑Harvey match. The move was described by commentators as a political pressure that undermined FIFA’s credibility.
Multiple matches have generated fresh complaints. In the Argentina‑Egypt round‑of‑16, VAR cancelled an Egyptian goal for a foul cited on the opposite end of the pitch. In England’s quarter‑final against Norway, the ball allegedly struck an overhead camera cable, but FIFA said the ball’s internal sensor recorded no contact. Norway’s coach and England’s manager both demanded a replay. A new “mistaken‑identity” protocol used to send off Switzerland’s Breel Embolo in the quarter‑final against Argentina was labelled by former referee Christina Unkel as an over‑reach that altered the underlying decision rather than merely enforcing a rule.
Former players and analysts—including Rade Bogdanović, Garry Kasparov and others—have condemned FIFA as “the worst organisation after the UN Security Council”, accusing it of inconsistent VAR application, selective sensor activation and political interference. Fan confidence appears eroded, with social‑media backlash echoing across several national federations.