Here's the worst thing about the best World Cup

July 9, 2026 - 17:33

For all its drama, upsets, and unforgettable moments, this World Cup will be remembered as one of the greatest ever staged. But it also carried a persistent, frustrating shadow: the video assistant referee. VAR, with its endless replays and soul-crushing goal reversals, became the worst thing about an otherwise brilliant tournament.

Every time a ball hit the net, fans learned to hold their breath. The immediate joy was replaced by a tense wait, often followed by a long, awkward silence as officials studied a screen. Goals were disallowed for the width of a toe or for an arm that was barely visible. The flow of the game was shattered. Instead of celebrating skill, we spent minutes analyzing freeze-frames of offside lines drawn at impossible angles.

The technology was supposed to fix clear errors. Instead, it created a new kind of anxiety. It stripped away the raw, spontaneous emotion that makes football beautiful. You could no longer trust your own eyes. The game became a forensic examination rather than a living contest. While the tournament delivered incredible stories and high-level play, VAR ensured that every celebration came with a footnote of doubt. It was the one technical flaw that kept a perfect tournament from feeling truly pure.