With the end of the group phase of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, it is possible to make an initial summary of the utilisation of the video assistant referee (VAR) in Russia. Although the new technology allows the correction of some errors, it also brought some new controversies. In this article, the most important uses of the VAR during the first two weeks of the competition are highlighted and we suggest how the competition would have progressed without VAR. (more…)