Former Referee Claims VAR Erred in Disallowing Egypt's Goal

Argentina pulled off a stunning late comeback, turning a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 victory against Egypt in a memorable World Cup Round of 16 clash. A pivotal moment in the second half saw the African side score what appeared to be their second goal, a strike by Mostafa Ziko in the 58th minute.

However, the goal was ultimately disallowed after VAR intervened, prompting head referee François Letexier to review the play for a potential foul on Lisandro Martinez. The official sided with his colleagues, ruling that a stomp had occurred.

Former top Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde González, however, believes VAR intervention was unnecessary in this instance, arguing it wasn't a clear and obvious error.

“This was a very minor stomp, which, according to the philosophy of VAR, should never have been subject to review but rather left as a referee's decision on the field. Since the knockout stage began, we've seen a very intrusive VAR. Whether we like it or not, we'll have to get used to it,” he told “As”.

“The big problem is that the laws of the game have always been universal, meaning they are the same worldwide. Since VAR was introduced, this tool has been used without a unified criterion, which ultimately confuses players and fans due to its differing application across various competitions,” the former referee concluded.