VAR at the World Cup hasn’t been free of debate. Think of South Africa’s Themba Zwane being sent off for violent conduct in the opener, or a referee declining a penalty review after Kylian Mbappé appeared to be tripped by Sadio Mané. Still, there have been relatively few flashpoints overall.
That’s typical at major tournaments, where players take fewer risks than across a 38‑game league season. World Cup matches average about one major incident (such as a red card or penalty claim), compared with roughly three in the Premier League—naturally creating more scope for controversy in league play.
Expectations for officiating are also higher at a World Cup. FIFA has handpicked the elite: 51 top referees and 30 leading video match officials. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of refereeing, encourages an approach reminiscent of the Premier League: football is a contact sport, and not all contact is a foul. The aim is a faster, freer-flowing game.
The numbers reflect this. Fouls are being called less often—27 per game in 2018, 25 in Qatar, and now 21.7. The Premier League last season was at 21.6. Bookings are down too, to 2.4 per match—lower than other competitions and recent World Cups.
And as the refereeing philosophy shifts, the video review process has to adapt with it.