FIFA President Gianni Infantino's efforts to integrate technology into the World Cup to resolve refereeing disputes have instead become a focal point of controversy, leading to widespread criticism and accusations of over-reach and inconsistency.
The expanded use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and new ball sensor technology has been at the heart of numerous contentious moments throughout the tournament, fueling fan frustration and even conspiracy theories.
One notable incident involved the red card shown to U.S. player Folarin Balogun, which drew the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump cited the "unfairness" of the decision and revealed he had contacted Infantino in an attempt to overturn the ban, though FIFA stated the final decision was not influenced by this intervention.
Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, voiced frustration after his team had a goal disallowed by VAR for a foul in the build-up, followed by a missed penalty call. "What’s happening isn’t fair," he stated after the 3-2 loss to Argentina.
FIFA's head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, defended the technology's application, including the decision to disallow Egypt's goal. He argued that a foul is a foul, regardless of its timing relative to the goal, and that VAR can intervene if the on-field referee missed it.
VAR, originally conceived to correct "clear and obvious" errors like Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in 1986, has seen its scope expanded under Infantino, who took over FIFA leadership in 2016 after his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, resisted its introduction. The 2026 World Cup features an increased number of VAR interventions compared to previous tournaments, with four officials now dedicated to the television booth, a strategy championed by Collina in collaboration with the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Network scientist Brennan Klein, analyzing tournament data, suggested that while real-time AI adjudication is technically possible, fan reception is a significant barrier. "This kind of dystopian future of over-refereeing everything kind of fails to address what it’s originally designed to intervene on," Klein said. "My sense is that fans in the stadium, by and large, just hate this. They’ve sort of been informed that this is the right way to do things, but not really had a say in it."
Klein also noted a substantial increase in red cards compared to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with 13 issued by the end of the round of 16 in the current tournament, albeit in more games. At least two of these red cards, including Balogun's and England defender Jarell Quansah's, were for fouls not initially spotted by the referees.
England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed anger after a VAR-awarded penalty against his captain, Harry Kane, in a match against Mexico. "VAR overturns (but) is this a clear and obvious error for the penalty? For sure not," Tuchel stated. "Referees just not good enough, fourth officials just not good enough."
The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) formally requested an explanation from FIFA regarding a disallowed goal for Croatia, calling it an "abuse of technology." The decision was based on a sensor embedded in the ball detecting a slight touch, possibly from a player's hair, which led to an offside ruling against Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time equalizer.
Luka Modric, a Croatian veteran, also expressed dissatisfaction, suggesting VAR's application is inconsistent. "For some things it’s useful, but it’s either being used incorrectly or selectively, depending on the size of the team or whatever else," Modric said. "If it’s a 200% mistake, then you intervene. If it’s not, if it’s in a grey area, then there’s no reason to get involved."