VAR at the World Cup: how it works

VAR (the Video Assistant Referee) made its World Cup debut in 2018 and has been part of the tournament ever since.

What VAR can review

• Goals — and whether there was an infringement in the build-up
• Penalty decisions — awarded or denied
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity when the referee cautions the wrong player

VAR only steps in for clear and obvious errors on those four match-changing situations. The on-field referee always makes the final call.