World Cup 2026

[Grey Fox]

Was Sepp Blatter right about VAR all along?  Are we better off with occasional bad calls than this?

Yes. But it's only because FIFA can't implement anything the right way. VAR could be great & help but soccer is a sport that is dumbly officiated so that will never work.

[Zoupa]

Jokes aside, does anyone think that Argentina is being favoured by the refs/VAR? And if so, why?

[crazy canuck]

I don't think so, but I will certainly defer to the people here who are much more knowledgeable.

[HVC]

Last game aside not as much as 2022. Then again they faced harder teams in 2022.

[DGuller]

Jokes aside, does anyone think that Argentina is being favoured by the refs/VAR? And if so, why?

I'm not convinced that a VAR would always rewind that far back for every goal looking for fouls.  There is still this transparency problem with VAR:  you know what they looked at when they have something to show a referee for the ceremonial approval of their decision, but you don't know what they looked at or chose to not look at when they don't call the referee over.  Selective enforcement is insidious that way:  you can't dispute the decisions, since they're always correct by the letter of the rules, but you have no way of disputing non-decisions or even evaluating their consistency.

[Maladict]

The disallowed goal was pretty harsh.

[Norgy]

Argentina has been lucky with some VAR decisions, like the disallowed goal today.

Whether this is intentional is hard to prove, but seeing as FIFA operates with a desire to have a product to sell, it would be better to keep the big player names in the competition still than send them home. This is still just speculation, and the fact that Brazil did not get a third penalty for some reason against Norway to save Neymar is an argument against.

I think there is data to support claims that "big" teams in leagues around Europe get more favourable refereeing, although not to the extent that myths like "Fergie time" would have you believe.

Refereeing will always be debated, and unfortunately I would not say the standard in the World Cup has been worse or better than in the EPL, for instance. The Norwegian referee was rather horrible, though.

[Zoupa]

The problem seems to me that as DGuller said, you can selectively use VAR to disallow anything, but also that Argentina seems to be getting those calls every single game in 2022 and again in 2026.

Just the amount of penalties awarded should raise eyebrows no?

[HVC]

Also probably doesn't help the impression when infantino is in the stands crying when Messi misses a penalty

[Duque de Bragança]

Jokes aside, does anyone think that Argentina is being favoured by the refs/VAR? And if so, why?

Two wrongs don't make a right, but Messi made a red card-worthy foul against Algeria in the first game.

Would not have happened were the situation reversed.

Yet Argentina was clearly superior.

[Sheilbh]

Just the amount of penalties awarded should raise eyebrows no?

Although I think that was one of those things where the pre-tournament briefing of refs said they were going to crack down on certain things (I think basically any touching of a keeper in the penalty box - like the rest of us they were traumatised by Arsenal). The press and national teams are explicitly told what refs are looking out for/if they've decided to be strict about a specific rule.

But yeah I think we weren't even halfway through the group stages and had more penalties than in the entire previous world cup.

[DGuller]

Fox commentators talking about players having signature moments in this World Cup.  The camera then pans to Infantino, and they go "we've seen a signature moment from this man".

[HVC]

We were talking about the decline of Brazil over rhe last 20 to 30 years, but have goalies gotten significantly better over the same time frame? Or is that just my selective memory? I mean we've always had a stand out or two,  but now it just seems every goalie is better. Except for Zidanes kid

[Zoupa]

Jokes aside, does anyone think that Argentina is being favoured by the refs/VAR? And if so, why?

Two wrongs don't make a right, but Messi made a red card-worthy foul against Algeria in the first game.

Would not have happened were the situation reversed.

Yet Argentina was clearly superior.

Argentina was not clearly superior to Cap Vert, and were not clearly superior to Egypt today, yet they keep being given these extra margins. I don't get it.

It's not like Messi is the one dude keeping the popularity of football alive lol. It was the biggest sport in the world before he was even born.

[HVC]

Jokes aside, does anyone think that Argentina is being favoured by the refs/VAR? And if so, why?

Two wrongs don't make a right, but Messi made a red card-worthy foul against Algeria in the first game.

Would not have happened were the situation reversed.

Yet Argentina was clearly superior.

Easier to be better if the ref has your opponent in a headlock 

Messi is great as always, but Argentina's midfield is Swiss cheese. I mean no offense to cabo verde or Egypt but they're not exactly offensive powerhouses and they found ways through multiple times.