FIFA has decided to station VAR officials inside the stadium for every remaining match at the World Cup, a change from their previous setup at a central hub in Dallas, Texas. The move takes effect from the quarter-finals, starting with Thursday's clash between France and Morocco at Gillette Stadium.
Reason for the Change
The decision aims to safeguard against potential technical issues that could arise from remote officiating. Throughout the tournament, VAR officials had been working from the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas, but FIFA opted to relocate them to the match venues for the knockout stages.
Officiating Controversies
The change comes amid ongoing debates about refereeing at the World Cup. France against Morocco is one of several knockout ties to make headlines for its officiating before kick-off. Five of the seven officials selected by FIFA for the quarter-final in Boston are Argentine, including main referee Facundo Tello and main VAR official Hernan Mastrangelo.
Allegations of bias towards Argentina have surfaced, reminiscent of the last World Cup in Qatar. A controversy erupted after Argentina's controversial 3-2 victory over Egypt, where multiple key decisions went against Egypt. Egypt boss Hossam Hassan claimed, "They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, many things happen off the pitch because of interests. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team."
FIFA's Response
FIFA's refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, defended the officials involved in the round-of-16 tie, insisting that they cannot be influenced by anyone. "Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport," Collina said. "Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right. Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president."
Other Controversies
FIFA has also faced criticism after lifting Folarin Balogun's ban, allowing the USA striker to play in their 4-1 defeat to Belgium. United States President Donald Trump revealed that he called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to complain about the decision.
The second quarter-final between Spain and Belgium takes place at 8pm UK time on Friday, followed by England vs Norway at 10pm on Saturday, and Argentina vs Switzerland at 2am on Sunday.
