World Cup: VAR shows the downside of getting more calls right

Key Points:

• Norway's goal against England in the World Cup quarterfinal was disallowed after VAR review due to Erling Haaland pushing an England player, sparking controversy and frustration among Norwegian players and fans.
• VAR decisions have been a major source of debate in this World Cup, with inconsistent calls and subjective interpretations of "clear and obvious" errors causing dissatisfaction across many teams and supporters.
• Argentina has benefited from several favorable VAR decisions, leading to accusations of bias, though some refereeing experts argue those calls were correct based on the evidence.
• Croatia experienced a painful VAR decision when a last-minute goal was disallowed due to a barely perceptible offside touch detected by ball sensors, illustrating how technology can impact the game's emotional moments.
• While VAR has increased accuracy and reduced some refereeing errors, its implementation has also introduced new controversies and delays, prompting calls for FIFA to refine the system to focus on clearer errors and improve consistency.