FIFA must act now to end this farce

VAR was given a real test in the Portugal-Iran game. It seemed to give Paraguayan referee enrique Caceres more problems than solutions. Players demanded reviews, penalties were awarded and Ronaldo was given a yellow card for clashing with an opponent. FIFA must deliver answers quickly because referees could now be faced with mass dissent for every VAR review. VAR was correct when Ronaldo was fouled in the box and a penalty was awarded. The talismanic Portuguese was then perhaps fortunate to stay on the field when he was caught on camera catching an opponent in the face with an elbow (above). I wouldn’t have sent him off but others would have. The final interruption was the worst. Caceres was asked to look at an incident when the ball hit a Portuguese arm in the penalty area. He reviewed the footage and, astonishingly, awarded a penalty. It cost Portugal top spot and means they now take on Uruguay, not Russia.