The International Football Association Board (FIFA) has taken a new decision regarding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology ahead of the semifinal matches of the 2026 World Cup, in a step aimed at enhancing technical readiness following the refereeing controversy that accompanied the knockout stage matches.

According to the British newspaper 'Mirror', FIFA decided to move the video assistant referees to the stadiums hosting the two semifinal matches, instead of managing all situations from the central operations center in Dallas, as was the case during most of the tournament's matches.

The decision came amid increasing criticism of refereeing performances during the previous rounds, especially after a number of controversial incidents in the quarter-finals.

The video assistant referee team is stationed inside the stadium for the France vs. Spain match in Dallas, while the other team is inside the stadium for the England vs. Argentina match in Atlanta.

The video technology had sparked widespread controversy in more than one match, most notably the disallowed goal for the Egyptian national team against Argentina in the round of 16, after the referees deemed a foul by Lisandro Martínez at the start of the attack, a decision that drew strong objections from the Egyptian camp.

The match between England and Norway also saw a penalty kick for the English team disallowed, despite their players demanding it after Jed Spence fell inside the penalty area following a challenge with a Norwegian defender.

Before the quarter-finals, all video assistant referees managed matches from the International Broadcast Center in Dallas, regardless of the city hosting the match, before FIFA began testing the new system in a limited number of matches, and then decided to adopt it officially in the semi-finals.

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The presence of video assistant referees inside the stadium aims to provide a backup solution in case of any technical malfunctions or communication interruptions with the main operations center, allowing for reviewing footage and informing the on-field referee of decisions without affecting the flow of the match.

Dan Hunt, owner of the American club Dallas and a member of the World Cup organizing committee, said: 'These matches witness many exciting events, and it is difficult for only four referees to manage everything that happens on the field, especially with the large playing area.'

He added: 'I am happy to have video assistant referees inside the stadium, although I still do not know how the communication mechanism between them and the referees will work.'

In the same context, FIFA assigned the management of the France vs. Spain match to Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, assisted by David Morán from El Salvador and Antonio Bobero from Nicaragua, the duo who accompanied him in his three previous matches during the tournament.

Polish referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski will take over as the main video assistant referee, one of the most experienced referees in this field, having led the video technology room in the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina, assisted by Dutchman Dennis Higler and Mexican Guillermo Pacheco.

Barton had caught attention in the current tournament after becoming the first referee to show a red card for covering the mouth, when he sent off Miguel Almirón during the match between Paraguay and Turkey last month.

Despite being a man down, the Paraguayan national team managed to maintain their lead and win 1-0, with Almirón later apologizing to his teammates for the incident.