FIFA Expands VAR to Include Corners and Second Yellow Cards but Faces Resistance Ahead of 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will introduce expanded video-assistant-referee duties, new red-card offences and measures to reduce stoppages when the tournament opens in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Video officials will check every decision that results in a corner, according to guidance issued by the International Football Association Board.

The same board said VAR should intervene on corners only if it can do so quickly, though no time limit was set, and it made the review of corners optional.

VAR will also assess decisions that lead to a second yellow card and therefore a sending-off. At present the system examines only straight red cards. A further clarification, announced less than a fortnight before the tournament begins, will allow VAR to examine any offence committed before a set piece if the incident had a direct impact on a subsequent goal, penalty or sending-off.

Players or officials who leave the field in protest at a referee’s decision can now receive a red card. The measure follows an incident in which Senegal coach Pape Thiaw and several players walked off during the Africa Cup of Nations final. Players who cover their mouths in a confrontational situation will also face a red card.

The rule stems from an episode in which Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni hid his mouth under his shirt before confronting Vinícius Júnior; Prestianni later admitted to and was banned for homophobic remarks. FIFA president Gianni Infantino personally called for the sanction, and although the measure has been made optional it will be applied at the World Cup.

Outfield players must remain off the pitch for 60 seconds after receiving treatment.

Goalkeepers will continue to be treated on the field, but while treatment occurs all other players must retreat to the centre circle and stay away from their coach’s technical area, following a practice already used in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Referees will signal a five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks. If the count reaches zero on a throw-in the ball will be awarded to the opposition; on a goal-kick a corner will instead be given to the opposing team.

Any player being substituted must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being raised. If the departing player exceeds the limit, the replacement player will be held off the pitch for an additional minute. The Premier League appears ready to reject the optional review of corners, while some figures inside the International Football Association Board have expressed hesitation about extending VAR’s remit.