• Graham Poll and Josip Simunic (2006) Graham Poll was an elite English referee who had already officiated two games at the 2006 World Cup without incident and was one of only a few names being considered for the final. Yet in the final group-stage tie between Croatia and Australia, he showed Croatian left-back Josip Šimunić two yellow cards without sending him off. Šimunić continued only was eventually dismissed after the final whistle following a third booking for dissent. Poll, perhaps inevitably, was not given the responsibility of refereeing the final and retired within a year. Getty Images
    Graham Poll and Josip Simunic (2006) Graham Poll was an elite English referee who had already officiated two games at the 2006 World Cup without incident and was one of only a few names being considered for the final. Yet in the final group-stage tie between Croatia and Australia, he showed Croatian left-back Josip Šimunić two yellow cards without sending him off. Šimunić continued only was eventually dismissed after the final whistle following a third booking for dissent. Poll, perhaps inevitably, was not given the responsibility of refereeing the final and retired within a year. Getty Images
  • Carlos Tevez v Mexico (2010) Carlos Tevez’s opening goal against Mexico at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa set the sway of the match in motion, but he was clearly in an off-side position when he helped on with his head Lionel Messi’s tame shot. Referee Roberto Rosetti missed it, but even when the jumbotron inside the stadium showed various replays of the incident and the officials saw the mistake, they were officially unable to change the decision. The goal stood and Argentina went on to win 3-1 — but the incident led to Fifa banning big-screen replays inside stadiums. Getty Images
    Carlos Tevez v Mexico (2010) Carlos Tevez’s opening goal against Mexico at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa set the sway of the match in motion, but he was clearly in an off-side position when he helped on with his head Lionel Messi’s tame shot. Referee Roberto Rosetti missed it, but even when the jumbotron inside the stadium showed various replays of the incident and the officials saw the mistake, they were officially unable to change the decision. The goal stood and Argentina went on to win 3-1 — but the incident led to Fifa banning big-screen replays inside stadiums. Getty Images
  • Thierry Henry v Ireland (2009) A two-legged play-off between Ireland and France for a place at the 2010 World Cup was settled in extra-time by French defender William Gallas, but it was the build-up that would prove most controversial. In extra-time and with Ireland nearing a place in the finals, Thierry Henry used his hand to control a free-kick before squaring for Gallas to knock in. The goal tied the game at 1-1, enabling France to advance 2-1 on aggregate. Henry later admitted the handball, but blamed the referee for not spotting it. AP Photo
    Thierry Henry v Ireland (2009) A two-legged play-off between Ireland and France for a place at the 2010 World Cup was settled in extra-time by French defender William Gallas, but it was the build-up that would prove most controversial. In extra-time and with Ireland nearing a place in the finals, Thierry Henry used his hand to control a free-kick before squaring for Gallas to knock in. The goal tied the game at 1-1, enabling France to advance 2-1 on aggregate. Henry later admitted the handball, but blamed the referee for not spotting it. AP Photo
  • Ali Hussein Kandil (Mexico v El Salvador, 1970) El Salvador’s debut at the World Cup in 1970 resulted in one of the most bizarre goals ever witnessed at a finals. Against Mexico, the hosts, Egyptian referee Ali Hussein Kandil blew his whistle to award possession to El Salvador, yet with uncertainty as to whether he had given a free kick or a throw-in, Mexico instead took a quick free-kick and scored themselves. Kandil incredibly let it stand, prompting El Salvador’s players to refuse to restart the game and the referee to eventually end the first half early. The debutants went on to lose 4-0. AP Photo
    Ali Hussein Kandil (Mexico v El Salvador, 1970) El Salvador’s debut at the World Cup in 1970 resulted in one of the most bizarre goals ever witnessed at a finals. Against Mexico, the hosts, Egyptian referee Ali Hussein Kandil blew his whistle to award possession to El Salvador, yet with uncertainty as to whether he had given a free kick or a throw-in, Mexico instead took a quick free-kick and scored themselves. Kandil incredibly let it stand, prompting El Salvador’s players to refuse to restart the game and the referee to eventually end the first half early. The debutants went on to lose 4-0. AP Photo

Sport

In Pictures: How Video Assistant Referee Technology could have changed history

Garry Meenaghan

June 20, 2017

  • English
  • Arabic

Video Assistant Referees (VARs) are being used by Fifa at the Confederations Cup. Gary Meenaghan looks at five instances in the past where history could have been changed if VAR had existed then.

Diego MaradonaFifa