VAR and the Decisions That Changed Football at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Officiating underwent a dramatic transformation with the introduction of VAR, a technology that sparked controversy while bringing greater accuracy and fairness to the game.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system completely transformed football, officiating, and the FIFA World Cup. Here, we look back at the technology’s debut on football’s biggest stage and the decisions that changed the game forever.

VAR'S WORLD CUP DEBUT

VAR was first used in 2016, making its international debut on September 1 during a friendly match between Italy and France. It was later introduced in an official FIFA competition on December 8 at that year’s FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

Although the system continued to evolve, it initially faced significant criticism and skepticism, particularly regarding the time taken to review incidents and the concern that it disrupted the emotion of the game. Many questioned whether the technology could truly deliver fairer decisions on the pitch.

However, two years later, VAR's introduction at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia proved to be a resounding success, cementing its place in the sport.

THE VAR DECISIONS THAT SHAPED WORLD CUP HISTORY

The project, spearheaded by renowned refereeing figures such as Italians Pierluigi Collina and Roberto Rosetti, along with Spain’s Carlos Velasco Carballo, lived up to expectations. During the tournament, VAR interventions achieved an impressive accuracy rate of 99.3 percent.

The first VAR review in World Cup history came during France’s match against Australia, when Uruguayan referee Andrés Cunha confirmed a penalty awarded to Les Bleus in the 54th minute after a foul on Antoine Griezmann. Facing uncertainty over the incident, Cunha consulted the VAR before upholding his decision.

Other memorable interventions included the overturned penalty awarded to Neymar during Brazil’s match against Costa Rica, Young-gwon Kim’s goal in South Korea’s famous victory over Germany after VAR confirmed there was no offside, the penalty awarded to Mohamed Salah in the Russia-Egypt match after an initial free-kick decision was reviewed, and Ivan Perišić’s handball in the World Cup final between France and Croatia. The incident led to a penalty converted by Griezmann, giving France a crucial 2-1 lead on their way to lifting the trophy.