The 2022 World Cup is underway and it’s already shaping up to be a memorable tournament, but there are concerns that the prestigious competition could be remembered for some wrong reasons too.
Having kicked off on Sunday, fans have already been treated to several group games, including a shocking upset which saw Saudi Arabia beat Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1.
However, despite the talent and exciting matchups on display, one of the tournament’s biggest talks has been the officiating, namely Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which is once again under the sporting spotlight.
Fans and pundits are used to seeing VAR in action following its introduction into domestic leagues back in 2018, but one of the system’s biggest issues remains its inability to apply the same logic across the board, and super-agent Rob Segal has become the latest person to highlight the technology’s undeniable inconsistencies.
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England, who thrashed Iran 6-2 on Monday, were victims of at least one questionable VAR decision.
Defender Harry Maguire was denied a stonewall penalty after being blatantly pulled down in his opponent’s box. However, later on in the game, Iran were awarded a spot kick for a similar challenge.
The latest game to cause controversy has been Denmark’s Group D tie against Tunisia.
Following a handball in the box by a Tunisian player, Denmark were expecting to be awarded a potentially game-winning penalty kick, but despite being called over to the pitchside monitor and reviewing the footage for himself, referee Cesar Ramos opted against pointing to the spot and instead instructed play to continue.
“What a fantastic performance by Tunisia, especially considering Denmark are widely tipped to reach at least the semi-finals,” Segal said in an exclusive interview.
“But I’m beginning to wonder if this World Cup will be remembered for two things – one, the amount of extra time being played and two, VAR’s inconsistencies. It is staggeringly bad!”
Do you agree with Segal’s comments on VAR? – Let us know in the comments.