VAR has made the World Cup more fair ... but has it made it better?

VAR has made the World Cup more fair, according to supporters of instant replay, but questions remain over whether it has made matches better. In a World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, Norway’s Torbjorn Heggem scored to put his side ahead 2-1 over England, only for referee Clément Turpin to consult a pitchside TV monitor. Replays showed Erling Haaland shoved Elliot Anderson in the chest, preventing him from competing for position on the corner kick. Turpin disallowed the goal despite Haaland not being involved further and Anderson appearing to fall softly. The decision was one of two VAR rulings that left Norway fuming after a 2-1 extra-time defeat. Norway captain Martin Odegaard said the team “didn’t get much help,” while Alf-Inge Haaland criticized the outcome online. By the end of the round of 16, Sofascore reported more than 100 VAR checks, overturning about 0.5 decisions per match.