World Cup VAR review: Did France deserve deciding ...

World Cup VAR review: Did France deserve deciding penalty or was it really a dive?17mAndy DaviesMbappé scores penalty, France beat Paraguay30mESPNReam: USMNT a 'true representation of America'4hJeff CarlisleMarsch on Canada exit: We were the better team3hAlex KirklandMorocco eliminate Canada from World Cup4hESPN News ServicesAguirre ignores Mexico's Azteca altitude advantage1hTom HamiltonMexico aim for 'best game of our lives' vs. England3hTom HamiltonBrazil deny 'anti-Haaland plan' for World Cup tie2hESPN News ServicesNorway boss denies Ancelotti disrespect at WC4hMark OgdenUSMNT coach Pochettino latest World Cup star to throw first pitch.

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2dJeff CarlisleCan England handle Mexico's altitude? Why caffeine and beetroot juice might be the solution1dMark OgdenBest bets for the 2026 World Cup round of 1610hVictoria Matiash and Liz LozaplayMartínez: Croatia were offside, the technology is correct (0:44)Andy DaviesMultiple AuthorsJul 4, 2026, 07:17 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe video assistant referee causes controversy every week, whether it be the Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup, but now we have a 104-game FIFA men's World Cup to cover, so how are the decisions made this summer and are they correct?For the tournament, we are taking a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process in terms of both VAR protocol and the laws of the game.

Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a World Cup matchday. July 4France vs.

ParaguayReferee: lgiz Tantashev VAR: Juan Lara Time: 65 minutes Incident: VAR intervention and penalty awarded to FranceWhat happened: As France's Désiré Doué attacked the Paraguayan penalty area, midfielder Diego Gómez seemed to trip the French player without playing the ball. The referee waved away the appeals and played on.The Paraguay players were adamant Doué had dived and demanded a yellow card for the French attacker.

A look at the challenge that resulted in a French penalty and Mbappé scoring 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/FWYu5LeFbk— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 4, 2026 VAR decision: VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible penalty to France.

VAR review: VAR didn't need too long to review the replays and ask the referee to have a second look at the incident on the pitch side monitor.Once at the screen, the referee quickly agreed with the VAR judgement and awarded a penalty kick.Verdict: This was a positive and correct intervention by VAR as this was a clear foul and a penalty was absolutely the correct outcome.

The Paraguay players' reaction, demanding that a yellow card should be given to Doué for diving, was a clear attempt to deflect and add some doubt to the review process.This was a clear penalty in real time and how the referee did not recognise this is difficult to understand. That said, the referee had a poor game, missing so much and in doing so he made it a very difficult for himself.

Ultimately, though, the process worked, the correct call was made and, in the end, the penalty awarded to France ended up being the deciding goal in France's 1-0 win over Paraguay.July 3Portugal vs. CroatiaReferee: Espen Eskas VAR: Jarred Gillett Time: 103 minutes Incident: Croatia goal disallowed due to offside.

What happened: With the score at 2-1 to Portugal, Croatia defender Joško Gvardiol bundled home an equalizer deep into stoppage time. However, a check on the "Connected Ball Technology" confirmed that Croatia striker Igor Matanović got a faint touch on the ball, which played Mario Pašalić offside.Immediately after the ball touched Matanović, it deflected off Portugal defender Renato Veiga's head.

So why wasn't the phase reset?VAR review: The VAR checked the touch by Matanović using the ball technology, then determined that Veiga's tou