World Cup 2026: Warning of Potential Referee Controversy Explosion

In the opener, hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0. However, instead of goals or technical displays, the focus was on strict rulings from the referee team and VAR system. South Africa were reduced to 10 men late in the first half after Yaya Sithole received a red card for a foul on Brian Gutiérrez just outside the box.

The African side then lost another player when Themba Zwane was sent off after VAR determined he swung his arm into Roberto Alvarado's face during a challenge. In stoppage time, Mexico also finished with 10 men after defender César Montes got a straight red card.

Speaking on the podcast "The Rest Is Football," Alan Shearer said the referees' approach to officiating worried him. The former England captain commented: "I get the feeling this is similar to the early season phase in many domestic leagues, when referees often apply very strict standards. That could easily happen again at this World Cup, and we might see many controversial decisions in the first ten days."

According to Shearer, the red card for Sithole was fully justified, but the other two situations were more debatable. "Some decisions are on a very fine line. The first red card was correct. However, the other two were very hard to judge. Especially the one for the off-the-ball hit. I'm not sure where else that player could have placed his arm," he said.

Sharing Shearer's view, former England defender Micah Richards believed the sending-off of Zwane was too harsh. Richards remarked: "I don't think that was a red card. He was just trying to shield the ball with his body and accidentally hit the opponent's face with his arm. One camera angle made it look worse than it actually was, but in my opinion, it wasn't an offense worthy of being sent off."

Beyond the refereeing disputes, the 2026 World Cup also began facing questions about attendance and ticket prices. The match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at Akron Stadium recorded 44,985 spectators according to official FIFA data. However, television images showed many sections of the stands still unfilled, raising doubts about the tournament's actual appeal in its early stages.

Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had to defend the tournament organizers' ticket pricing policy after several opinions emerged that current prices were beyond the reach of some fans.

As the 2026 World Cup has only just begun, debates over refereeing, VAR, and fan experience indicate that the world's biggest tournament may face many heated off-field topics in the weeks ahead.