After an exciting month, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has reached its conclusion with Argentina defeating France in the most thrilling World Cup final in history. It has been a memorable tournament to this point, with no shortage of shocking results and drama throughout.
However, some of the big talking points have been less than favorable to referees, as the Video Assistant Referee has once once more been a massive contentious point throughout the competition. What have been some of the most controversial decisions, and have they ultimately been correct?
France vs England
A number of the most controversial decisions in the World Cup came in the quarterfinal showdown between England and France. The game was littered with controversial moments, with calls for referee Wilton Sampaio to be sent home flooding the internet at the conclusion. The first of the big calls that weren’t overturned by VAR was the foul on Bukayo Saka in the build-up to France’s opening goal. However, it’s likely that this decision was ultimately correct for VAR not to intervene as it happened a number of phases before the French scored.
However, the decision that VAR probably got wrong came in the 25th minute, as Dayot Uppamecano brought down Harry Kane. Replays showed that the challenge occurred in the box, or at the very least on the line, meaning that the on-field decision should have been overturned. English frustrations were clear at the end of the match, as two big decisions went once morest them once morest the reigning world champions.
Japan vs Spain
One of the most controversial moments at the World Cup came in the final group fixture between Japan and Spain. The outcome had a direct impact on the sports betting results betting markets, as Germany was eliminated. In the 55th minute, Japan thought they had scored the winning goal following Ao Tanaka scored following a pull-back from Kaoru Mitoma. However, initial replays showed the ball had gone out of play.
After a lengthy VAR check, the decision was reversed and the goal was awarded. It was the crucial moment in the tie, as Japan progressed through to the next round at the expense of Germany. However, even following millions of replies, fans are still undecided whether the ball was in or out. At the very least, the shadow of the ball was in play, and a millimeter would have been enough for the Germans to scream foul play.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
It was clear that VAR was going to be a divisive topic from the early games in the competition. In the first half alone, Argentina saw three goals disallowed following VAR intervention, with one certainly not clear-cut in the slightest. However, they were handed a controversial penalty earlier in the match to take the lead following it was determined that Leandro Parades was being held by a Saudi Arabia defender.
This was a very strange decision in the context of what happened 24 hours earlier. England wasn’t awarded a penalty for a similar incident following Harry Magure was dragged to the ground by an Iran defender, which makes this Argentina decision baffling, to say the least. But, in the wider context of things, it didn’t make much difference, as Argentina scored the penalty before later going on to suffer a 2-1 defeat.
Qatar vs Ecuador
In the very first game at the World Cup, there was a controversial VAR moment, as Ecuador saw their opening goal inside three minutes chalked off. It was one of the stranger offside rulings in the competition, as Enner Valencia’s effort was chalked off following it was determined that Michael Estrada’s foot was ahead of the goalkeeper when he challenged for the ball.
In truth, they eventually got to the correct decision, but fans were left confused regarding the player that was offside given that the offside was marginal, to say the least. But, it is one of the few times at the World Cup where VAR worked relatively quickly to get to the correct decision.
VAR Conclusion
VAR has been a controversial addition to football since its implementation, and the controversy that surrounds it will only continue for years to come. It should be said that the decisions that are being made are mostly correct, but fans are confused surrounding the implementation of the rules. It might be a case that we see a number of rules changes to fit into this VAR-era of football, which will make decisions clearer for the average fan to understand.
