The New York Times

A day at World Cup referee training: Chants, VAR feedback and dissecting the Mbappe penalty call

Referees' committee chairman Pierluigi Collina speaks at a debrief Leonardo Fernandez/FIFA via Getty Images It is just after 8.30am on Wednesday and Pierluigi Collina, microphone in hand, is standing ...

How does VAR work? What to expect of Video Assistant Referee at the 2026 World Cup

The most controversial part of modern soccer, VAR, is bound to impact FIFA's biggest tournament, the World Cup..
The New York Times

Inside the WSL’s referee training camp – ‘When refs make mistakes, all hell breaks loose’

“I was at the London 2012 Olympics, the pinnacle of my career, and I had the worst experience of refereeing I’ve ever had,” says former New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith. “I thought, ‘It can’t be ...
ESPN

VAR explained by former referee: How will it work at World Cup?

The video assistant referee (VAR) is one of the most controversial aspects of soccer today. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it will again take center stage, providing the final word on many of each ...
Yahoo! Sports

Italian Assistant Referee’s Open Letter: ‘Penalties Given By VAR After Rocchi Told Them To – Why No Penalty In Inter Milan Vs Roma?’

Italian assistant referee Domenico Rocca wonders why penalties are given after VAR intervention, but not when Inter Milan played Roma. Rocca penned a letter that has been published on Arbitri.com. He ...

2026 FIFA World Cup: How many referees and assistant referees will work each match?

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup introduces a larger format and more matches than ever before, attention also turns to the ...