FIFA referees' chief Collina calls for VAR to rule on corner kicks at World Cup 2026

FIFA was in favour of extending the VAR protocols to cover corner kicks at World Cup 2026. For any change to be implemented this late, it would need to be approved as a trial by the sport’s lawmaking body (IFAB), which will hold its annual business meeting next month.

Speaking at a briefing in Washington D.C. ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw, FIFA referees' chief Collina said: “I think we should all have the objective to make correct decisions on the field of play.

"It would be a pity if the result of a competition is decided not by what the players do on the field of play, but by an honest mistake made by the decision-maker. This is what convinced us 13, 14 years ago to start thinking how to support referees (with technology). So if we can get this, to me, it’s positive.

“We discuss and we will see what will be the outcome because I think the objective would be worth it”.

Asked if corner checks would risk adding more stoppages, Collina said: "The main criteria is no delay. With corners, there is a physiological delay because when a corner is given, normally you wait until the two centre-backs come up.

"It normally takes 10-15 seconds to get the attackers ready. In these 10-15 seconds, if the corner kick is wrongly given. Everybody has the evidence that the start of play is wrong and to me, it's difficult to understand if they have the possibility to see that [the decision is wrong] why we have to hide our heads under the sand and hope that nothing happens on the corner kick which is taken."

Besides corner kicks, IFAB revealed in October that it had discussed allowing VARs to intervene when a second yellow card is incorrectly issued. This is the change that could become another innovation at next summer’s World Cup.