We can list all the pros and cons of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) until the beer taps have been turned off and the jukebox disconnected at the wall, but we can be certain of one thing: no one can claim for sure that the VAR has made soccer a better game, or a more fair one. In fact, two incidents in the Women’s World Cup round of 16 game between England and Nigeria present a strong case against. The VAR is not just unnecessarily complicating soccer, it’s actively hindering justice.

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