The most controversial part of modern soccer, VAR, is bound to impact FIFA's biggest tournament, the World Cup..

VAR has changed how soccer is officiated and it has new powers at the 2026 World Cup. Here is how the video review system works.

As you watch or read about the World Cup, there's a good chance that you'll see someone talking about VAR. But what is it? VAR is the use of the video assistant referee to review decisions made in a game for clear and obvious errors or missed incidents.

A simple guide to how VAR works in soccer, what decisions can be reviewed and how video replay will be used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

When referees in the English Premier League actually walk over to the pitchside monitor and review a call, they overturned their original decision in the vast majority of cases. That number is staggering when you think about it. It means the original ...

Between what was nominally the 70th and 73rd minutes of Barcelona Femeni’s 8-0 win against Alhama CF last weekend, Claudia Pina scored twice — but the VAR review of her second goal took more than five minutes to get through. Video refereeing has only ...

Here is a clear, step‑by‑step breakdown of what VAR is, when it can be used, what is changing at the World Cup, and what fans should know.