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

First publishedJul 13, 19:55 UTC

Last updatedJul 13, 23:59 UTC · 4m ago

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

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Reported by 1 outlet — WIRED. See all sources ↓

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.

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What's the story?: 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.
How widely is it covered?: 1 outlet, average source rating 7.0/10.
When was it last updated?: 4m ago.

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The Problem With VAR at the 2026 World Cup Isn’t the Technology—It’s Who Interprets It
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WIREDJul 13, 19:55

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