World Cup Controversies: is VAR Undermining the Game?
WHO:
The Guardian - Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s coach
The Guardian - François Letexier, French referee
The Guardian - Donald Trump, President of the United States
The Guardian - Gianni Infantino, FIFA president
The Guardian - Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer
NPR - Felipe Cardenas, senior writer with The Athletic
NPR - Chris Davis, professor at Adelphi University
WHAT:
The Guardian - Egypt lost to Argentina 3-2 in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The Guardian - Egypt was leading 2-0 before Argentina scored three goals in 13 minutes.
The Guardian - Egypt's second goal was disallowed after a VAR check for a foul that occurred over 100 yards away.
The Guardian - A petition with over 12 million signatures demanded FIFA disqualify Argentina.
The Guardian - FIFA overturned a one-match suspension for Folarin Balogun after intervention from Trump.
The Guardian - FIFA suspended part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban in November 2025.
NPR - VAR technology has been used to review goals and fouls, leading to multiple disallowed goals.
NPR - An Iranian goal was annulled due to a player being offside by a toe.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The match between Egypt and Argentina took place during the World Cup.
The Guardian - Iran's team trained in Mexico and played their matches in the United States.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The World Cup was officially introduced in 2018.
The Guardian - The Balogun incident occurred during the current World Cup.
The Guardian - FIFA suspended part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban in November 2025.
WHY:
The Guardian - Hossam Hassan accused FIFA of wanting Argentina to win and keeping Messi in the competition.
The Guardian - The controversy surrounding VAR has led to accusations of corruption and match-fixing.
HOW:
The Guardian - VAR was used to review a goal that was disallowed for a foul that occurred far from the play.
NPR - VAR involves a separate crew watching the game on video with replays showing many angles.
(UPDATED July 17, 2026 19:23 UTC)
In a dramatic World Cup match, Egypt lost to Argentina with a score of 3 to 2 after leading 2 to 0, as Argentina scored three goals in just 13 minutes. The controversy intensified when Egypt's second goal was disallowed following a VAR review for a foul that took place over 100 yards away, prompting a petition with over 12 million signatures demanding FIFA disqualify Argentina. Additionally, FIFA overturned a one-match suspension for Folarin Balogun after intervention from Trump, while Cristiano Ronaldo's ban was partially suspended in November 2025 amid ongoing debates about VAR's role in the tournament.