Tag · 26 articles
The Women's World Cup has seen a series of contentious VAR decisions, leaving fans and players confused. From Ghana's denied penalty against England to Brazil's disallowed goal and Germany's allowed goal despite a high boot, the application of VAR appears inconsistent. Statistics show similar intervention rates to the Premier League, but subjective calls vary.
BBC Sport pundits argue that Alexander Pavlovic's high boot in the build-up to Leroy Sane's goal constituted endangering an opponent and should have been ruled a foul. The incident occurred during the World Cup Group E match between Ecuador and Germany at New York New Jersey Stadium.
England's Jude Bellingham was not sent off for covering his mouth while speaking to Ghana's Jordan Ayew because the conversation was friendly, not confrontational. FIFA's new rule, which can result in a red card for hiding the mouth during confrontations, was applied differently in Bellingham's case compared to Paraguay's Miguel Almiron, who was sent off in a heated situation.
Video assistant referee official Shaun Evans will return to duty for New Zealand's game against Egypt on Sunday after a FIFA investigation cleared him of making an inappropriate hand gesture. Evans insisted the gesture was an involuntary twitch.
BBC pundits disagreed on whether Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj should have been sent off for a high punch that struck Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi in the head during a 1-1 World Cup draw. Wayne Rooney argued for a red card, while former assistant referee Darren Cann said the referee made the right call.
FIFA is breaking its own precedent by allowing the 2026 World Cup to proceed in a host nation facing visa controversies and political tensions, marking the first time such issues have occurred at a modern tournament.
