FIFA has opted to station VAR officials at the venue for the World Cup semifinals after facing backlash over several refereeing calls throughout the knockout rounds.
The World Cup quarterfinals were marked by numerous disputed refereeing calls, including during England’s 2-1 win against Norway, and Lionel Messi’s Argentina once more gaining an advantage from officiating in their win against Switzerland. In response to these hotly contested calls, FIFA has broadened its operations to guarantee technical reliability and aims to prevent additional controversies.
For the semifinals, FIFA will appoint a lead VAR official and a backup VAR official to each match at the stadium. Until the quarterfinal round, where they tested the approach at select matches, VAR officials had been working from a centralized hub at the International Broadcast Center in Dallas, irrespective of the match location, as per The Mirror US.
- World Cup fans furious as they claim tournament ‘rigged’ amid Argentina VAR win
- FIFA ‘will take no action’ over Argentina’s controversial Falklands song at World Cup
Nevertheless, this shift represents a significant change in how the World Cup’s review system functions. But prominent controversies have put refereeing standards and those overseeing the remaining crucial fixtures under intense examination.
The newly positioned on-site officials will act as a backup should any communication or technical problems emerge. Should contact with the Dallas hub be disrupted, officials within the stadium will be capable of reviewing the incidents and instructing the referee to conduct reviews without interrupting the match.
“There’s a lot of drama that unfolds in these games. And look, when you are asking only four officials to manage what’s going on on the field, it’s very difficult on a field that’s much bigger than an American football field,” said Dan Hunt, Owner of FC Dallas and FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee member.
“I’m glad that there’s gonna be on-site. I don’t know what that communication’s gonna look like.”
Ivan Barton will officiate the semifinal between Spain and France. Barton will receive assistance from David Moran of El Salvador and Nicaragua’s Antonio Pupiro, who have partnered with him throughout each of his prior three matches at this World Cup and regularly serve on his officiating crew in CONCACAF and FIFA competitions.
To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HERE
Meanwhile, Poland’s Tomasz Kwiatkowski will serve as the primary VAR official. He is a seasoned specialist video referee and oversaw the VAR operation for the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina.
He will receive support from Dutch official Dennis Higler and Mexico’s Guillermo Pacheco.
Barton has made headlines this World Cup; he became the first referee to show a red card for mouth-covering to Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron last month. Paraguay preserved their 1-0 lead over Turkiye despite competing with ten men for the entire second half, and Almiron subsequently apologized to his squad for the error.
France meets Spain in the World Cup semifinal in Dallas on Tuesday, July 14.
