FIFA has broken its silence on the controversial VAR decision that overshadowed Germany’s shock exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the disallowed extra-time goal against Paraguay was in line with new refereeing guidelines introduced ahead of the tournament.The governing body responded a day after four-time champions Germany crashed out in the round of 16, losing 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay after a 1-1 draw. The decisive moment came in the 101st minute when Jonathan Tah headed in what appeared to be the winning goal, only for referee Jalal Jayed to disallow it after a VAR review for Waldemar Anton’s foul on Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.The decision drew widespread criticism across Germany, but FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina defended the interpretation, saying officials had been instructed to punish attackers who deliberately interfere with opponents without attempting to play the ball.
FIFA explained the controversial decision of VAR
Addressing the debate, Collina said the incident coincided with the instructions issued by the referees before the World Cup.“Although holding the position is not a foul in itself, when the attacking player is not interested in the ball and makes deliberate moves, even marginal ones, with the clear intention of hindering the opponent’s movement and preventing him from defending, then the referees and, if necessary, the VAR, should carefully analyze the incident and intervene,” said Collina.“This is especially the case when the objective of the tactic is to prevent the opposing goalkeeper from being able to defend the goal.”READ ALSO: Why Klopp targeted Arsenal as he attacked VAR after Germany’s World Cup exitCollina emphasized that the stricter interpretation should not have surprised the teams.“Coaches and players were informed, so it should not be surprising that the referees will punish these violations,” he said.FIFA’s chief referee also praised several rule changes introduced at the tournament to reduce time-wasting, including restrictions on goal kicks, throw-ins and substitutions, as well as requiring injured players to stay off the pitch for one minute.“All these measures have been very effective and are unanimously considered very positive innovations,” added Collina.
Germany furious after dramatic exit
After that came an explanation from FIFA German legend Thomas Muller harshly attacked VARinsisting his side were denied a legitimate winning goal.“I honestly don’t know what VAR is looking at anymore. What kind of call is that? The goalkeeper must be the luckiest player on the pitch because, from everything I saw, Germany scored a perfectly legitimate goal,” Muller told Magenta TV.The former Germany striker accused the officials of looking for a foul that did not exist.“We Germans feel taken advantage of and cheated. This is wrong. This is daylight robbery on football’s biggest stage. If this is a foul, then football has completely lost its consistency as we have seen far stronger challenges allowed in all tournaments,” he said.Muller also sympathized with team-mate Jonathan Tah, whose disallowed goal was followed by a missed penalty in the shootout.“You work your whole life to play in the World Cup, you fight for every ball, you finally score what could be the winning goal, and then someone sitting in a room hundreds of meters away decides to erase that moment with a decision that millions of people will disagree with. It’s heartbreaking for every player on that pitch,” he added.He concluded by questioning football’s reliance on technology.“I can accept defeat against a better team. I can accept missed opportunities. But I cannot accept a perfectly good goal being taken away from me because of an interpretation that no one understands. Germany deserves better than this and football deserves better than this. “At the moment, it seems like technology has punished us instead of protecting us,” Muller said.The defeat marked Germany’s earliest exit from the World Cup and only their second defeat on penalties at a major international tournament, while Paraguay progressed to the last 16 after one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 competition.
