Veteran refereeing authority Keith Hackett praised Michael Oliver and Clement Turpin in recent World Cup ties but argued FIFA's handling of Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension has damaged the tournament's integrity.
FIFA's refereeing chief defended the independence of World Cup match officials following Egypt's complaints about key calls in a 3-2 round-of-16 loss to Argentina, while tactical data shows how the game swung on possession, shot volume, and two disputed decisions.
Egypt led Argentina 2-0 with 11 minutes left in a World Cup last-16 thriller before conceding three late goals. Coach Hossam Hassan blamed refereeing and vowed to stop watching the tournament.
The European Court of Human Rights split its ruling on Porto's media punishments, rejecting corruption allegations while upholding free-expression protections for post-match referee criticism tied to Benfica's 4-1 win at Feirense.
A connected match-ball review in Toronto disallowed Joško Gvardiol's late equalizer against Portugal, ending Croatia's World Cup 2026 run and reigniting debate over VAR transparency.
World football's governing body defended referee Raphael Claus and overturned Folarin Balogun's suspension after VAR sent the United States striker off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, clearing him to face Belgium in the last 16.
A veteran officiating analyst breaks down contrasting refereeing standards across two World Cup knockout ties, offering lessons for aspiring players navigating VAR, discipline, and high-stakes decision-making.
Croatia fell 2-1 to Portugal in a Round of 16 thriller as a late Josko Gvardiol equalizer was overturned for offside. Zlatko Dalic criticized VAR's emotional toll while lamenting what may be Luka Modric's final World Cup.
Youri Tielemans scored twice, including a VAR-backed penalty in the 120th minute, as Belgium rallied from 2-0 down to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time at Lumen Field and advance to the World Cup Round of 16.
Belgium rallied from 2-0 down against Senegal in Seattle with late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, then won in extra time after a VAR penalty — a wild finish that reopened old wounds for the African side.
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