📸 VAR rules out goal by millimetres, sparks controversy in Europe | OneFootball

It's no longer a matter of centimeters, but perhaps... millimeters.

Since the introduction of VAR and semi-automatic offside in Europe—a system that will be implemented in Brazil starting in 2026—some goals have been disallowed, generating some rather unusual images.

This Sunday (23), in Belgium, we may have reached the peak of "offside by millimeters" during the Jupiler Pro League match, in the 0-0 draw between KVC Westerlo and La Gantoise.

Completely involved in the fight against relegation, Westerlo opened the scoring, but Isa Sakamoto’s goal was disallowed by VAR due to an offside at the beginning of the play.

Having trouble spotting the offside?

Well, it really is tough! It was just a tiny bit of the yellow-shirted player's shoulder that caused the goal to be invalidated!

Obviously, the image sparked huge controversy in Belgium, especially among Westerlo supporters, who lost two precious points in the fight to stay up after the goal was disallowed.

“We paid millions for VAR technology and the system lets us down,” said the club’s vice president, Hasan Çetinkaya.

“It’s a shame and a blow to Belgian football [...] In case of doubt, the rule says the goal should be validated. I saw four or five images. If there’s so much hesitation, there’s no reason to disallow the goal,” also criticized Issame Charai, the club’s coach.

For sure, VAR isn’t just a hot topic in Brazil—we can say the criticism is everywhere!

Technology arrives in Brazil in 2026

CBF has confirmed the implementation of semi-automatic offside starting from the first round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship, which will kick off on January 28, 2026.

The technology, already used in competitions like the World Cup and the Champions League, uses a system with multiple cameras around the stadium and a sensor in the ball to determine offside plays with greater precision and speed, with an expected accuracy of 98%.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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