According to RMC, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, and VAR will be expanded to more decision-making scenarios.
If you weren't already a fan of VAR, this FIFA World Cup might make you even more dissatisfied. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off this Thursday, June 11, and the tournament will implement several new rules, one of which involves the video assistant referee.
VAR was first used in an international tournament at the 2017 Confederations Cup, where its scope of intervention was clearly defined. In other words, the head referee could only use the video referee's assistance in a few specific situations.
However, at this 2026 FIFA World Cup, the scenarios where video can overturn decisions will increase. Until now, referees could only use VAR in four situations: to confirm whether a goal is valid, to verify whether a penalty decision is correct, to determine or revoke a direct red card, and to verify the identity of a sanctioned player.
From now on, the head referee can also consult the video assistant referee in two new situations. The referee can use VAR to decide whether to issue a second yellow card to a player who has already received one, effectively sending them off. The referee can also rely on the video referee to overturn a corner kick that should not have been awarded to a team, but conversely, it cannot be used to reinstate a corner kick that should have been awarded to a team.
At a time when VAR opponents are calling for a return to 100% human officiating, these new rules clearly indicate that football matches will increasingly and more deeply rely on technology to assist in making decisions.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
