“He’s ruining everything,” Henry fumed against Var after Portugal-Croatia at the 2026 World Cup

“I don’t understand that decision at all. For me, the referee and VAR completely ruined what should have been one of the biggest moments of this World Cup. You can’t overturn a goal of that magnitude unless the evidence is absolutely clear,” Henry said live on FoxSports. “I’ve watched the replay several times, and I still don’t see enough to be able to confidently overturn it. If it takes that long to draw lines and freeze frames, then it’s not obvious.”

“The referee allowed technology to become the protagonist of the match. The fans didn’t come to see the VAR: they came to see the football. Croatia thought they had earned the equalizer with courage and determination, only to see it taken away by a decision that will divide opinion for years,” Henry continued.

This is exactly why people are losing faith in the VAR. Instead of correcting obvious errors, it is making microscopic decisions that no one in the stadium can understand. This is not what football should be”, concluded the former French international, “I feel sorry for the Croatian players because moments like this stick with you forever. You celebrate, you think you have kept the dream of the World Cup alive and then everything is erased in a few seconds. For me, the referee and the VAR were completely wrong”.