On the eve of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina strongly defended the use of VAR, rejecting claims that technology kills the joy of goal celebrations. Speaking at FIFA's Technology Command Center in Miami, Collina explained that VAR actually amplifies emotion. "The player immediately reacts and celebrates the goal. Then there is a moment of suspense, because there is a check. The goal is checked. At the end, when the goal is confirmed, there is a second celebration. So basically, the emotion is doubled; it is not reduced," he said.
Key role of automation and semi-automated offside
Collina highlighted how semi-automated offside technology solved one of the most contentious issues. In the past, manually drawn lines bred distrust. "Unfortunately, humans do not trust humans. They always think there is something wrong," he stated. FIFA therefore developed a more automated system featuring 3D player avatars created by Lenovo, the official technology partner. Over 1,200 players were laser-scanned to improve credibility among fans.
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Technology empowering referees: from bodycams to AI
Beyond VAR, the tournament introduced Referee View, a stabilized bodycam feed that reduces camera jitter by up to 60%, adapted from Formula 1. Collina joked that the head-mounted unit makes referees look like "Robocop," but defended it over a chest rig, especially in 35-degree heat. Artificial intelligence, developed with Lenovo, processes over 2,000 metrics per match to prepare officials. However, Collina warned: "The misconception is we have the technology, and we can provide an answer to everything." Physical contact, such as pushing and pulling, remains a human judgment.
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For more on AI in sports, read about powerful AI models emerging globally. Additional information on VAR technology is available on Wikipedia.
