In a push for greater accuracy, world football’s governing body will trial a significant expansion of video review in North America next summer.
FIFA is set to introduce VAR reviews for corner kick decisions at the 2026 World Cup, pushing ahead with the controversial plan despite the idea being rejected for wider use in domestic leagues.
The proposal, championed by FIFA’s head of referees Pierluigi Collina, failed to gain approval at a recent meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that governs the laws of the game. As a result, FIFA will create a special trial for its flagship tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“This is about correcting clear errors,” a source close to the discussions explained. “If we can quickly see a corner was given when it should have been a goal kick, why not fix it?”
The move represents a major shift. Currently, VAR protocol is strictly limited to reviewing goals, penalty decisions, red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. Adding corners would require every such decision to be checked before play resumes, as laws prevent referees from altering a restart once the ball is back in play.
Collina has long advocated for this expansion, arguing that technology should rectify any clear and quick-to-identify mistake. He often cites a pivotal moment from the Euro 2016 final, where Portugal were incorrectly awarded a free-kick that nearly led to a championship-winning goal.
FIFA officials believe they have the necessary technology—including specialized cameras and ball-tracking systems—to make these reviews swift and seamless. The plan is expected to be finalized at IFAB’s next meeting in January.
While domestic leagues have resisted broadening VAR’s scope over concerns about flow and pace, FIFA has a history of using its tournaments as testing grounds, having previously introduced semi-automated offside technology and in-stadium VAR announcements.
For players and fans at the 2026 World Cup, it means one more moment of potential pause—and precision—in the quest to get every call right.
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