VAR. Three letters unlikely to spark joy among the majority of football fans, but there’s no doubt that the video assistant referee will be unavoidable at World Cup 2026.
To say it has proven controversial since its inception would be a major understatement. Every week during the Premier League season, it feels like we’re discussing another divisive decision and this summer’s tournament is likely to be no different.
Whether it’s a narrow offside, debated handball, touch-and-go penalty, or contentious red card, VAR is going to make it’s mark at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States – particularly given it will have extended powers.
Radio Times brings you all the details you need to know about VAR at World Cup 2026.
Read more football features: Best players in the world | Best players of all time | Live football on TV today
What are the extended VAR powers at World Cup 2026?
VAR powers have been extended ahead of World Cup 2026 to second yellow cards, mistaken identity, and corners.
As per FIFA, the VAR will now be able to check and review:
- Red cards arising from a clearly incorrect second yellow card
- Mistaken identity, when the referee penalises the wrong team for an offence, resulting in a red or yellow card being shown to the wrong player
- A clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick, provided that the review can be completed immediately and without delaying the restart.
What is semi-automated offside VAR at World Cup 2026?
Premier League fans should now be accustomed to semi-automated offside VAR, which was implemented in the top flight at the start of 2025/26 and will be in operation at World Cup 2026.
The Adidas World Cup 2026 ball – called the Trionda – contains a microchip that allows moments of contact to be pinpoint-accurate, while additional tracking technology provided by cameras on the roof of the stadium will keep tabs on every player.
When there is a potential offside, the semi-automated system fires an alert to the video assistant referee and automatically draws the famous lines in an instant.
That means fewer infuriating waits for a decision, as all that’s left to be done is for the VAR to confirm the accuracy of the technology, run the rule over the call and relay the final verdict to the on-field official.
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.
Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
