World Cup 2026 Thread

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The problem with VAR is that they're using it to replace officiating instead of complement it. We don't need a review on an obvious goal only to find out the sensor in the ball activated and it brushed some fabric on a Croatian player. That's not why any sport has replay. I am also a bit tired of unseen fouls getting called during VAR for something else. That's like reviewing a fumble and seeing holding in the back and deciding you're calling holding. It's stupid. As is calling back goals for a foul that happened 45 seconds ago. If it didn't get called, it didn't get called. 

Then again, the NFL consistently gets calls wrong after instant replay so I am tempted to just say, as I've said many times, just get rid of it all and go back to living with incorrect calls.

I like offsides personally, find it very easy to grasp, I just don't like how it's called. The spirit of the rule is obviously to prevent somebody from hanging out on the opponent's half waiting for bombs. It shouldn't really matter if somebody's shoulder is 3 inches off. It's just dumb. 

Lastly...yeah, the 6-4 game was fun, but it was fun because it was a 3rd place game that neither team showed up with any anxiety for, and it was a slop fest. I'm sure the general observer thought it was fun, but it was far from the best tournament games I've seen personally.

[Fear The Chorizo]

34 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

The problem with VAR is that they're using it to replace officiating instead of complement it. We don't need a review on an obvious goal only to find out the sensor in the ball activated and it brushed some fabric on a Croatian player. That's not why any sport has replay. I am also a bit tired of unseen fouls getting called during VAR for something else. That's like reviewing a fumble and seeing holding in the back and deciding you're calling holding. It's stupid. As is calling back goals for a foul that happened 45 seconds ago. If it didn't get called, it didn't get called. 

Then again, the NFL consistently gets calls wrong after instant replay so I am tempted to just say, as I've said many times, just get rid of it all and go back to living with incorrect calls.

I like offsides personally, find it very easy to grasp, I just don't like how it's called. The spirit of the rule is obviously to prevent somebody from hanging out on the opponent's half waiting for bombs. It shouldn't really matter if somebody's shoulder is 3 inches off. It's just dumb. 

Lastly...yeah, the 6-4 game was fun, but it was fun because it was a 3rd place game that neither team showed up with any anxiety for, and it was a slop fest. I'm sure the general observer thought it was fun, but it was far from the best tournament games I've seen personally.

Yes, agreed on all points - if VAR is going to be applied to offsides calls in soccer, then an attacking player needs to be completely clear of any defender to be offsides.  This isn't the NFL where the goal line and all line to gain markers are set across the entire field at the start of each play.  The moving offsides line based on where defenders move to during play shouldn't create gift offsides calls when an attacker has one of his hands offsides while the rest of that player is onsides.

And there has to be a limit to what VAR can initiate on non-calls being put under review that stops play and alters goals scored.  The goal Egypt had taken off their ledger against Argentina for a foul that wasn't called on the exact opposite side of the pitch from where Egypt's counter attack led to a goal was absurd - and the VAR official likely only takes that to review because the Argentinean team of thugs threw a hissy fit about the call in effort to stay in the game.  They wound up coming back against a turtling Egyptian squad and winning, kudos to that, but they once again showed their true colors after the Final ended yesterday.  It's one thing for VAR to look at called fouls to determine if they warrant a red card, but I dislike non-calls being subject to review because so often what happens in super slow motion doesn't take into account the flow or intent of a play (exactly the Balogun play which wasn't called a foul, that resulted in a VAR red card).

[owbc]

24 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Yes, agreed on all points - if VAR is going to be applied to offsides calls in soccer, then an attacking player needs to be completely clear of any defender to be offsides.  This isn't the NFL where the goal line and all line to gain markers are set across the entire field at the start of each play.  The moving offsides line based on where defenders move to during play shouldn't create gift offsides calls when an attacker has one of his hands offsides while the rest of that player is onsides.

And there has to be a limit to what VAR can initiate on non-calls being put under review that stops play and alters goals scored.  The goal Egypt had taken off their ledger against Argentina for a foul that wasn't called on the exact opposite side of the pitch from where Egypt's counter attack led to a goal was absurd - and the VAR official likely only takes that to review because the Argentinean team of thugs threw a hissy fit about the call in effort to stay in the game.  They wound up coming back against a turtling Egyptian squad and winning, kudos to that, but they once again showed their true colors after the Final ended yesterday.  It's one thing for VAR to look at called fouls to determine if they warrant a red card, but I dislike non-calls being subject to review because so often what happens in super slow motion doesn't take into account the flow or intent of a play (exactly the Balogun play which wasn't called a foul, that resulted in a VAR red card).

The one thing I'll give them credit for is the refs let them play more in this World Cup vs. previous ones and let the obvious flops go. The Embolo red card was the most satisfying moment I have ever seen as a casual soccer fan, but it took VAR to get the correct call. 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I actually think soccer could learn a lot about replay from the NHL, namely:

1) Challenges are only allowed after goals.

2) If you lose the challenge, you give up a power play.

Obviously, the second one is trickier in soccer (though it works well enough in LAX), but I certainly like the idea that VAR should be involved in a challenge capacity and not as an all-time default. The NHL largely preserves the flow of the game and the celebration of goals. That's a good thing.

I want to be clear that I'm not arguing for a challenge system per se. I do think it would be an improvement, though.

As someone who watches the Championship (2nd division English league) a lot, the lack of VAR there actually enhances the viewing experience. Sure, sometimes your team gets burned, but that's life. Goals are goals. Offside is reasonably adjudicated. It's just a better emotional experience.

Given how inconsistent VAR officials are (it's literally a different person every game), I'd be absolutely fine with using the semi-automated offside and goaline technology and calling it a day, especially in club play. You want to bring in challenges for the World Cup or Champions League or Championship playoff, okay, maybe. But this tournament was very bad.

I will say that VAR is MUCH less intrusive in the Prem, La Liga, and the UCL than it has been in the past, and I think a lot of it is down to officials just largely understanding that they are in an emergency, egregious oversight role.