World Cup VAR Review: Fernandez Sent Off at 93' as Spain Crowns Champions

Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card in the 93rd minute for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi during the World Cup final.

Spain erupted at full-time after being crowned World Cup champions following a tournament defined by critical officiating interventions. In the 93rd minute of the final, referee Slavko Vincic dismissed Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez for a second yellow card. Fernandez had previously been cautioned for dissent before committing a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi. This World Cup VAR review confirmed the on-field decision was correct, as the midfielder made no contact with the ball and disregarded his opponent's safety. New tournament protocols allowed VAR Bastian Dankert to intervene on the second caution, but the review was cleared quickly due to the severity of the foul.

Spain faced their own officiating hurdle in the 6th minute of extra time when Nico Williams had a goal disallowed. Williams finished a loose ball following Mikel Merino’s play, but Vincic ruled that Merino fouled Nicolas Otamendi in the buildup. Replays confirmed foot-on-foot contact, leading the VAR to uphold the on-field decision despite the impact appearing minimal in real-time. This 104-game tournament utilized elite officials like Andy Davies to navigate these high-stakes protocols across various matchdays.

Simulation and Mistaken Identity Rulings

In the 72nd minute of a separate fixture, Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was sent off for simulation following a complex VAR intervention. Referee João Pedro Silva Pinheiro initially cautioned Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for a challenge on Embolo. However, VAR Guillermo Pacheco Larios recommended a review that revealed Embolo had dived. Under the "mistaken identity" law, the yellow card for Paredes was rescinded and transferred to Embolo. Because the Swiss forward was already on a booking, he received a red card. This application mirrored an earlier incident in the United States vs. Paraguay match, where a card was moved from Tim Ream to Miguel Almirón.

France secured a 1-0 victory over Paraguay thanks to a 65th-minute penalty awarded via VAR. Midfielder Diego Gómez tripped Désiré Doué inside the area, an incident initially ignored by referee Igiz Tantashev. After Juan Lara recommended an on-field review, the official reversed his call. Kylian Mbappé converted the resulting spot-kick, which served as the deciding goal. Paraguay players had unsuccessfully lobbied for Doué to be cautioned for simulation during the review process.

Disallowed Goals and Technology Spikes

Egypt saw a potential 2-0 lead against Argentina overturned in the 62nd minute. Mostafa Ziko appeared to score, but VAR Jerome Brisard identified a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez. Attia was found to be holding Martínez’s shirt while simultaneously stepping on his foot. Later in the same match, Egypt appealed for two penalties. Alexis Mac Allister was checked for a shirt-pull on Hamdy Fathy, and Julián Álvarez was reviewed for a challenge on Mohamed Salah. VAR cleared both, citing that Mac Allister’s contact was not sustained and the Salah incident involved mutual momentum.

Croatia’s Joško Gvardiol had a stoppage-time equalizer disallowed in the 103rd minute against Portugal. While the score sat at 2-1, Gvardiol bundled the ball home, but "Connected Ball Technology" showed a faint touch by Igor Matanović. This touch placed Mario Pašalić in an offside position. Although the ball deflected off Portugal’s Renato Veiga, referee Espen Eskas ruled it was not a deliberate play under Law 11, maintaining the offside call.

Late Drama and Red Card Controversies

Belgium benefited from a seven-minute VAR review in the 118th minute against Senegal. Referee Saíd Martínez awarded a penalty after Lamine Camara kicked Youri Tielemans in the calf. Despite the contact being described as negligible, the lack of ball contact by the defender triggered the intervention. In another match, U.S. goalscorer Folarin Balogun was sent off in the 63rd minute for serious foul play against Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic. Referee Raphael Claus issued the red card after VAR replays showed Muharemovic’s ankle buckling, though the contact appeared accidental. Finally, England’s Harry Kane was denied a penalty in the 43rd minute against Congo DR after a challenge by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was checked and cleared by VAR.