Luis Diaz's two goals ruled out for offside in Colombia vs DR Congo
In brief
- Luis Diaz had two goals ruled out for offside within two minutes on June 24, 2026
- VAR did not intervene on either disallowed goal, raising officiating protocol concerns
- Diaz set a 12-year World Cup record for most offsides by a single player in one match
- The incident reignited debate about officiating standards in international soccer
The Incident
Diaz had two goals ruled out for offside during the match, each flagged by officials within a narrow window. What made the situation especially notable was the absence of any VAR intervention. No review, no second look, no drama at the monitor. Just a flag and a free kick going the other way.
The Colombian striker's frustration was understandable. In the span of two minutes, two legitimate-looking opportunities evaporated. Officials on the sideline made the calls without technological assistance despite the infrastructure available to them.
A Record and Renewed Scrutiny
The back-to-back disallowed goals gave Diaz an unwanted distinction: the highest number of offsides recorded by a single player in a World Cup match in 12 years. The record underscores how rare and striking the sequence was.
Semi-automated offside technology was introduced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to eliminate the guesswork from tight calls. Yet the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted across North America, has brought renewed scrutiny to how referees and their assistants handle the technology.
The incident immediately reignited conversations about officiating standards at the highest level of international soccer. Fans, analysts, and team officials questioned whether the flags were correct, whether VAR should have intervened, and whether consistency exists in how the game's most consequential decisions are made.
The Diaz sequence crystallizes a broader tension: technology is meant to clarify, not confuse. When officials bypass available tools, the credibility of the call itself comes into question, especially when the margin for error in tournament play is zero.
