Overview
- During the World Cup Round of 16, referee François Letexier consulted VAR and annulled Mostafa Ziko’s 58th-minute goal after the video team flagged a foul at the start of the same attack.
- Match officials said the review used the Attacking Possession Phase rule, which permits replaying an entire continuous attacking sequence without a set rewind time as long as the opponent did not clearly regain control.
- The VAR and Letexier determined that Marwan Attia fouled Lisandro Martínez at the sequence origin, a contact described in reports as a 'pisotón' that the referee judged decisive enough to cancel the goal.
- Several analysts and former referees dispute whether that contact met APP’s standards for review and pointed to other plays involving Mohamed Salah that were not examined as evidence of inconsistent enforcement.
- The episode underscores APP’s heavy reliance on subjective judgments about possession and continuity and is likely to renew calls for clearer guidance on how far VAR may look back and when to require on-field review.