VAR Decisions Explained: How Goal and Penalty Calls Were Reviewed in Argentina vs Egypt

The controversial moments in the match were examined by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The first incident involved a goal that was reviewed after VAR detected a foul by Egypt’s Marwan Atia on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez during the attacking phase. VAR checks every goal for potential infractions; if a foul that could affect the outcome is found, it advises the on‑field referee to review the play. No fixed time limit separates the foul from the goal, allowing VAR to intervene whenever necessary. The second debated decision related to a potential penalty after Mohamed Salah’s fall in the box; Collina explained that contact on the opponent’s foot constitutes a foul, whereas a defender who merely touches the ball after the initial contact does not.