The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been filled with controversies from the start. These scandals range from the infamous alcohol ban to the ban on LGBTQ flags and the inhumane working conditions of migrant workers. And the controversies have also found their way on the field, as several matches have been marred by decisions that have been called into question.
The decisions have not only come from referees on the pitch but also from the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) off it. In addition, the new semi-automated offside technology has also made headlines, with one player being deemed offside as his sleeves were found to be ahead of the last defender.
Some of these decisions significantly impacted not only the outcome of matches but also the fate of other teams who were not even playing in the match.
So, here are the worst refereeing and VAR decisions at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Japan vs Spain 2-1: Japan’s winning goal against Spain
One day after Saudi Arabia’s shock win over Argentina, Japan pulled off another miracle by defeating four-time world champion Germany. They lost the next match to Costa Rica but qualified after defeating another giant in Spain. Japan won the game 2-1, but their second goal attracted massive controversy.
From the left side, Kaoru Mitoma put in a perfect ball converted into the goal by Ao Tanaka. However, initially, the referee called the goal off as it appeared that the ball had gone out of play before Motioma crossed it back to Tanaka. However, a check by the VAR deemed that goal to be legit.
This goal turned out to be the winning goal that put Japan through to the next round and simultaneously eliminated Germany. After the match, Japan’s manager said that the technology would have picked it up if the ball was out. And later, FIFA confirmed that since the curvature of the ball was still within the line despite the base of the ball going out, the ball was still in play.
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Japan’s second goal in their 2-1 win over Spain was checked by VAR to determine if the ball had gone out of play.
The video match officials used the goal line camera images to check if the ball was still partially on the line or not. pic.twitter.com/RhN8meei6Q
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) December 2, 2022
Poland vs Argentina 0-2: Wojciech Szczesny’s foul on Lionel Messi
Argentina faced Poland in the final match of the group stage, fully knowing that anything less than a win could end their journey. And thus, the Argentines…
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