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Sports · 28 July 2026

UEFA sets new VAR rules after World Cup referee rows

UEFA sets new VAR rules after World Cup referee rows

Yae25634 via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

European football officials have agreed on new guidelines for VAR, aiming for more consistent and limited use of the system. Refereeing controversies at the 2026 World Cup, including a disallowed goal for Iran and a penalty for Belgium, prompted the changes. UEFA wants VAR to only intervene for "clear and obvious" errors and for reviews to be shorter, with referees remaining the main decision-makers.

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