In the early 1910s, much of the Western world believed it was entering an era of lasting peace. Later, Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan described this widespread conviction as the belief that “global interconnectedness and technological progress would guarantee a peaceful world”. We all know what happened: World War I broke out in 1914.

Time and again, we fall into the same trap: believing that technology, by itself, will make us better. We believe it today with AI. And, for a while, many believed it about VAR. The problem is that we often forget a simple truth: technology is only a tool. Whether it serves us well or poorly, depends entirely on how human beings choose to use it.

The video assistant referee was never designed to review every incident in a football match; otherwise, the game would grind to a halt. At the Fifa World Cup, video review operates under the Laws of the Game established by International Football Association Board. VAR may intervene only when there has been a “clear and obvious error” or a “serious missed incident”, and only in four situations: mistaken identity, direct red cards, penalty decisions, and goals or no goals. Regarding the latter, the protocol allows VAR to recommend a review for “any offence committed by the attacking team in the attacking phase of play that directly leads to a goal”. That’s precisely what happened with Egypt’s disallowed goal against Argentina…or perhaps not.

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