Pierluigi Collina is open to VAR protocol being extended even further than corners

FIFA Set to Trial VAR for Corner Kicks at 2026 World Cup

FIFA is set to push forward with plans to introduce VAR reviews for corner kicks during the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, despite the proposal being rejected by domestic leagues and the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

At an IFAB meeting in October, the board supported the expansion of VAR to review second yellow cards leading to red but rejected FIFA’s request to include corner kick decisions under VAR protocol. Still, FIFA is likely to use its tournament as a testbed for the new technology.

VAR Expansion: What’s New?

Currently, VAR is limited to four categories:

Goals
Penalty decisions
Direct red cards
Mistaken identity

At Qatar 2022, FIFA successfully trialed technologies like semi-automated offsides and referee announcements, both now widely accepted. The corner kick trial would follow the same path — applied exclusively to FIFA tournaments first.

Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of referees, supports expanding VAR to rectify any obvious errors quickly identifiable by video officials.

Domestic Leagues Opposed

Leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga have opposed the idea due to concerns over:

Time delays
Increased resources required
Technical limitations (e.g. camera coverage, ball tracking tech)
Inability to uniformly enforce across all tiers

FA chief Mark Bullingham also expressed opposition, noting that reviewing 10+ corners per match could severely slow the game.

How It Will Work at the World Cup

Because restart decisions can’t be reversed after play resumes, every corner must be instantly reviewed by the VAR before the ball is played. This raises logistical challenges, but FIFA’s resources allow for:

Five VAR officials per match
Adidas connected ball technology
Advanced multi-angle cameras

Goals directly following a wrongly awarded corner will be disallowed, but indirect build-ups (e.g. short corners) may allow goals to stand — something FIFA is working to address in the rulebook.

Why Leagues Are Worried

Even elite leagues like the Premier League lack:

Sufficient VAR officials per game
Goal-line camera coverage for all angles
Access to connected ball tech used by FIFA

The Newcastle vs Arsenal controversy two years ago highlighted the limitations of current setups — no angle proved whether the ball was fully out of play.

Adding corners to VAR protocol would apply across all professional leagues, including Scottish Premiership, Eredivisie, and Serie B, creating uniform enforcement challenges and match delays.

What’s Next?

FIFA will bring the topic back to the table at the IFAB meeting in January, but unless domestic leagues agree, the World Cup 2026 could be the first — and possibly only — stage for this expanded use of VAR.

Still, if successful, it may set a precedent for further technological integration in global football officiating.