The 2026 FIFA World Cup was marked by a series of refereeing and VAR controversies across the group stage and knockout rounds, spanning disputed penalties, disallowed goals, and disciplinary decisions. Several incidents drew accusations of inconsistency in how similar fouls were treated between matches, prompting formal complaints to FIFA from national federations including Croatia and Egypt, as well as criticism from managers, players, and politicians over the severity or fairness of individual rulings. FIFA and its refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the disputed decisions on multiple occasions, while some controversies became entangled with wider allegations of bias, racism, and political interference in the tournament.
Group stage Mexico vs South Africa
In the opening match between hosts Mexico and South Africa, three red cards were shown, making it the first World Cup opening match to feature three red cards. The decisions prompted controversy, with South Africa finishing the match with nine players. Head coach Hugo Broos criticized referee Wilton Sampaio, arguing that Themba Zwane had been blocked by Mexico defender Roberto Alvarado before being judged to have used a raised arm, describing the foul as "too soft" for a red card. He further commented Zwane's 3-match suspension as "too severe" and that they would appeal FIFA's decision, comparing the incident with that of Lionel Messi on Aïssa Mandi which went unreviewed by VAR. However, Broos accepted Sphephelo Sithole's sending-off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity by Brian Gutiérrez. Mexico defender César Montes was also sent off after bringing down Khuliso Mudau to deny a goalscoring opportunity.
Argentina vs Algeria During Argentina's opening game against Algeria in Group J, that ended in a 3–0 win for Argentina, Lionel Messi committed a 30th minute studs-up challenge on Algeria captain Aïssa Mandi. Messi's foul went unpunished by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak or the VAR, despite protests by the Algerian squad. After the game the Algerian Football Federation (AFF) sent an official complaint to FIFA over refereeing decisions during the game. The incident got further attention following the sending off of the United States striker Folarin Balogun over a similar foul. However refereeing experts have defended the decision to not give a red card to Messi, claiming the play did not have the intensity or intention necessary for him to be expelled.
Argentina vs Austria During a match between Argentina and Austria, Lionel Messi opened the scoring after a controversial build-up involving a challenge by Alexis Mac Allister on Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager. Schlager went down after the tackle, with Austrian players arguing that a foul should have been awarded before Argentina continued the attack. The referee Amin Omar allowed play to continue, and VAR reviewed the incident but decided not to intervene, allowing Messi's goal to stand. Austria manager Ralf Rangnick later called the decision annoying, questioning why the foul was not given and why VAR did not recommend a review considering how the tackle is similar to one that caused a penalty for Argentina. After the game ended the goal was claimed to be "hard to disallow" by panelists due to the amount of plays the Argentinian team did after the ball was won, but that if the play had been seen earlier it would have been probably called a foul. The goal came under further scrutiny following Argentina's round of 16 match against Egypt, where Egypt's second goal by Mostafa Ziko was disallowed by VAR due to a foul in the build-up that occurred at the other end of the pitch.
Canada vs Qatar Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo received a five-match suspension after being sent off in his nation's group stage defeat to Canada for a challenge that broke the left leg of Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné. FIFA's disciplinary committee increased the automatic one-match suspension to five matches following a review of the incident. The severity of the punishment prompted debate among commentators, many of whom argued that the challenge lacked the force or intent normally associated with such an extended suspension.
England vs Ghana
In the 79th minute of the group stage match between England and Ghana, England defender Ezri Konsa had a notable collision with Ghana forward Prince Kwabena Adu in the England penalty area. Referee Saíd Martínez did not award a penalty, prompting Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz to comment that VAR had "gone for a coffee". Earlier in the second half, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford collided with Adu outside the penalty area while attempting to clear the ball. Martínez awarded a free kick to England and no card was shown, with VAR again declining to intervene. Queiroz criticized the officials for "two major incidents" involving Pickford and Konsa that he believed had gone unpunished.
Application of the "Vinícius Law" On June 23, following the 0–0 draw between England and Ghana, English midfielder Jude Bellingham became the subject of controversy after television cameras captured him covering his mouth while speaking to Ghanaian players and members of the coaching staff. The incident drew comparisons with the recent dismissal of Paraguayan player Miguel Almirón under the so-called "Vinícius Law", a FIFA regulation introduced to sanction players who concealed their speech during confrontational situations. Several media outlets and the Paraguayan Football Association questioned the consistency of the rule's application, arguing that Bellingham had not been sanctioned for similar conduct. Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz also accused Bellingham of using offensive language during exchanges with members of the Ghana bench following a foul on Jerome Opoku, although no disciplinary action was taken by the referee or the video assistant referee (VAR). FIFA officials later indicated that the regulation only applied when the gesture occurred in a confrontational context, and the exchange between Bellingham and Jordan Ayew was deemed non-confrontational. Ecuador's Piero Hincapié became the second player at the tournament to be sent off for covering his mouth while confronting Mexico's Santiago Giménez in their round of 32 fixture, with the incident reviewed by VAR and leading to a red card issued by referee Slavko Vinčić in stoppage time.
Egypt vs Iran The group-stage game between Egypt and Iran was overshadowed by a stoppage-time disallowed winner. In the final moments, Mohammad Ghorbani's shot deflected through Hamza Abdelkarim before Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the net from close range. Iran initially celebrated a dramatic late winner, but after a VAR review supported by semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), the goal was disallowed. Khalilzadeh was ruled narrowly offside by the tip of his boots, having been fractionally ahead of the goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir and the last defender at the moment Ghorbani's shot was taken. Egyptian players also protested a possible handball by Shahriyar Moghanlou during the buildup. The decision stood after review, leaving the match level at 1–1 and confirming Iran's third-place finish in Group G with three draws, which was not enough to secure a place among the top eight third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage.
Knockout stage Argentina vs Cape Verde During the Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cape Verde, an extra-time goal was ultimately recorded as an own goal after deflecting off the arm of Cape Verde defender Diney following a header from Cristian Romero from a Lionel Messi corner. The goal proved decisive as Argentina won 3–2 after extra time in Miami.
The match also attracted criticism; the Lusophone media questioned several officiating decisions, including allowing Messi to take a free kick while Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was still organizing his wall, alleged inconsistency in the enforcement of fouls, a disputed stoppage in play involving Argentina defender Nicolás Tagliafico, and the calculation of added time. Some outlets described the refereeing as biased toward Argentina.
Germany vs Paraguay During extra time in the round of 32 match between Germany and Paraguay, a goal scored by German defender Jonathan Tah was disallowed following a VAR review; referee Jalal Jayed ruled that Germany's Waldemar Anton had committed a foul on Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the buildup. The decision was controversial, with Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann describing the call as "a joke", arguing that no clear foul had occurred. The match ended 1–1 and Germany ultimately lost 4–3 on penalties, their first ever World Cup penalty shoot-out defeat. FIFA later defended the decision, stating that officials had been instructed to penalize similar blocking incidents involving goalkeepers, and that the intervention was consistent with pre-tournament guidance.
Belgium vs Senegal Senegal were eliminated with a 3–2 defeat against Belgium, after Belgium scored a VAR-awarded penalty in the stoppage time of extra time. The decision followed a review of a challenge by Lamine Camara on Youri Tielemans, which Tielemans converted to complete Belgium's comeback from a 2–0 deficit. The call sparked controversy, with critics arguing that Tielemans stepped across Camara and initiated the contact.
United States vs Bosnia and Herzegovina During the round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, United States forward Folarin Balogun was shown a straight red card in the second half by referee Raphael Claus following a VAR review, after Balogun's foot had landed on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović during an aerial challenge for the ball. The decision proved highly controversial, with many commentators describing the dismissal as excessive or incorrect. Several pundits also compared the incident to Lionel Messi avoiding a red card for a similar challenge on Aïssa Mandi during Argentina's group stage match against Algeria, with some questioning whether the earlier decision reflected inconsistency in refereeing standards.
During the same match, Bosnia and Herzegovina manager Sergej Barbarez was involved in a confrontation with the officiating team and several United States players, which resulted in him receiving a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct. Barbarez reacted angrily after referee Claus did not award Bosnia and Herzegovina a free kick following an apparent foul by U.S. defender Antonee Robinson on Esmir Bajraktarević. As play continued near the Bosnian bench, Barbarez picked up the ball and protested to the officials, refusing at one point to hand it back to Malik Tillman when he attempted to restart play. He eventually relinquished the ball after being confronted by Claus, who then issued a yellow card for unsporting behaviour and deliberate delay of play. The incident drew discussion among commentators about managerial conduct and touchline discipline in high-pressure matches.
Suspension of Balogun's red card
Folarin Balogun's controversial dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina initially carried an automatic one-match suspension which would have kept him out of the United States' round of 16 match against Belgium. However, FIFA suspended the ban and Balogun was allowed to play. The decision was applauded by U.S. officials, but was criticized abroad due to suspicions that Balogun was being allowed to play due to interference by President Trump.
Portugal vs Croatia