World Cup 2026: VAR to check corner kicks

World Cup 2026: VAR to check corner kicks

FIFA is set to announce a new feature for the 2026 World Cup: corner kicks could be reviewed by VAR.

This idea was not accepted for national leagues, but FIFA still wants to test it during the World Cup. The main goals for FIFA are to:

• prevent errors on corner kicks,

• use the same technology as for offside decisions,

• allow referees to announce their decisions directly to the crowd.

Once play resumes, the referee can no longer change the decision. So every corner kick will have to be checked by VAR before the game restarts. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of refereeing, supports this new rule. For him, it’s another step toward making officiating clearer and fairer.