FIFA is preparing to introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checks on corner-kick decisions at the 2026 World Cup, despite the International Football Association Board (Ifab) and major domestic leagues opposing the expansion of VAR’s remit.
The move comes after discussions at an IFAB meeting in October, where football’s law-making body agreed to allow VAR intervention for wrongly issued second yellow cards that lead to a red. However, it rejected Fifa’s proposal to include corner-kick decisions within the reviewable protocol.
Undeterred, FIFA appears set to create its own competition-specific trial for next summer’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Further debate on the rule changes will take place at the next Ifab gathering in January, but FIFA has a track record of implementing trials independently at its flagship events. Semi-automated offside technology and in-stadium explanations of VAR decisions both debuted at FIFA competitions before wider consideration. The governing body is now ready to adopt the same approach for corner reviews.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of refereeing, is a key supporter of expanding VAR’s scope. He has argued that any quickly identifiable error—whether related to corners or other restarts—should be communicated to ensure fairness and consistency. Collina has previously cited the 2016 European Championship final, when Portugal benefited from an incorrectly awarded free-kick, as an example of an avoidable officiating mistake that could be corrected with modern technology.
Despite this stance, domestic leagues have shown strong resistance. Managers, including Nottingham Forest’s Sean Dyche, have expressed frustration when incorrect corner decisions lead to goals, yet league administrators overwhelmingly oppose additional VAR involvement. Their main concern is delays. With the average Premier League match featuring around 10 corners, reviewing each one could significantly prolong match time.
Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive and an Ifab board member, has publicly stated he does not support expanding VAR to include corners. Lower-tier leagues face an even bigger hurdle: resource limitations. Many leagues lack the staffing, camera positioning and real-time technology needed to conduct swift and consistent VAR checks.
At the 2022 World Cup, it deployed five officials in the VAR room—far more than the two typically used in domestic competitions. The enhanced team included an offside VAR, a support VAR and a support assistant VAR, alongside connected ball technology capable of instantly detecting the last touch in tight situations. These advantages allow Fifa to operate at a speed impossible for most leagues to replicate.
Technical limitations have also hampered VAR in domestic football. Even top-flight leagues sometimes lack full camera coverage on the goal line, a point illustrated by Newcastle’s contentious goal against Arsenal two seasons ago, where VAR could not determine whether the ball had gone out of play.
If IFAB were to approve FIFA’s proposal, all VAR-using leagues—including Scotland’s Premiership, the Dutch Eredivisie and second divisions across Europe—would be obligated to adopt corner checks. This uniformity requirement makes approval unlikely. Instead, Fifa will exploit its authority over its tournaments to run an isolated trial at the World Cup.
Under the Laws of the Game, referees cannot alter a restart once play has resumed. Therefore, VAR reviews must be completed before the corner is taken. Every corner in the World Cup will be checked automatically, though most decisions are expected to be straightforward.
The new system will mark a significant departure from VAR’s original scope, which is limited to goals, penalties, straight red cards and mistaken identity. Corner kicks will become the fifth reviewable category for the tournament.
FIFA also rejected a proposal to review only corners that directly result in goals, citing concerns that attacking teams could deliberately take short corners to bypass scrutiny.
As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues, the football world remains divided. While Fifa insists expanded VAR use will improve fairness, leagues and fans worry about further interruptions and the growing influence of technology on the rhythm of the game.
