‘Coaches and players informed’: FIFA breaks silence on controversial VAR decision after Germany’s World Cup exit

Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez, left, celebrates after winning the World Cup Round of 32 match against Germany. (AP photo) FIFA has broken its silence over the controversial VAR decision that overshadowed Germany’s shock exit from the 2026 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 32, losing 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay after a 1-1 draw. The decisive moment came in the 101st minute when Jonathan Tah headed home what looked to be the winning goal, but referee Jalal Jayed overturned it after a VAR review for a foul by Waldemar Anton on Paraguayan 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 penalize attackers who deliberately obstruct an opponent without attempting to play the ball.

FIFA explains controversial VAR decision

Collina said in the discussion that the incident was in line with the instructions issued by the referees before the World Cup.“While holding a position is not in itself a foul, when an attacking player has no interest in the ball and moves deliberately, even marginally, with the clear intention of impeding the opponent’s movement and preventing him from defending, then the referee and, if necessary, VAR, should carefully analyze the incident and intervene,” Collina said.“This is especially true in cases where the tactic aims to prevent the opponent’s goalkeeper from defending the goal.”READ ALSO: Why Klopp targeted Arsenal as he slammed VAR after Germany’s World Cup exitCollina emphasized that the stricter interpretation should not have surprised the teams.“Coaches and players have been informed, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that referees will penalize these fouls,” he said.FIFA’s referees chief 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 were very effective and unanimously considered very positive innovations,” added Collina.

Germany were furious after the dramatic exit

FIFA’s explanation came after Germany legend Thomas Muller launched a scathing attack on VAR, insisting his side were denied a legitimate winning goal.“Honestly, I don’t know what VAR is looking at anymore. What kind of call is that? The goalkeeper must be the happiest 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 used 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 much stronger challenges allowed in all tournaments,” he said.Muller also sympathized with team-mate Jonathan Tah, whose disallowed goal was followed by an unconverted penalty in the shootout.“You work your whole life to play in the World Cup, you fight for every ball, you end up scoring what could be the winning goal, and then someone sitting in a room hundreds of meters away decides to erase that moment because of a decision that millions of people will disagree with. It’s heartbreaking for any player on a pitch like this,” he added.He concluded by questioning football’s dependence on technology.“I can accept losing to a better team. I can accept missed chances. But I can’t accept that a perfectly good goal was taken away from me because of an interpretation that no one understands. Germany deserves better than this and football deserves better than this. Right now I feel like we’ve been punished by technology instead of protecting it,” Muller said.The defeat marked Germany’s earliest ever exit from the World Cup and only their second penalty shootout loss at a major international tournament, while Paraguay progressed to the last 16 after one of the competition’s biggest upsets in 2026.