In pictures, VAR on the pitch… a refereeing error caused a storm in the Brazil-Norway match

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has sparked a new storm of controversy at the 2026 World Cup, after specialist refereeing reports revealed an error in the review mechanism for one of the crucial kicks in the Round of 16 clash between Brazil and Norway, an incident that renewed the use of the technology at the world’s biggest football tournament.

The 2026 World Cup match at the New York Stadium witnessed a video assistant referee (VAR) technology malfunction during a review of one of the match-affecting incidents.

And I mentioned Spanish “Archive” networkvideo technology specializing in the analysis of controversial refereeing cases showed the referee only part of the attack that ended in a penalty, ignoring the review immediately preceding it.

“During the Brazil-Norway match, the video assistant referee (VAR) technology went wrong… as Ryan, who never touched the ball, interfered with Antonio Nosa in the attack before the penalty. which started the game.”

The incident opens the door to new questions about how video technology works in the tournament, particularly as referees rely entirely on footage provided by the VAR room for the review process, allowing any shortcoming in showing the full sequence of an attack to affect the accuracy of the final decision.