2026 World Cup: Why VAR overturned the offside call before Alex Freeman's goal for the United States


Alex Freeman's first goal in the 2026 World Cup required a VAR review to be validated. Freeman put the United States ahead 2–0 against Australia in the first half when he headed Sergiño Dest's deflected shot. However, the offside flag was immediately raised by one of the assistants. But the American team had the help of semi-automatic technology that reviews all goals and offside calls during the World Cup. With a series of cameras installed in each stadium, video replay center officials can better determine whether a player is in a legal position or not. After a brief wait for this review, Freeman was considered in a legal position and the goal was awarded. For those who are beginning to understand football, it is necessary that two opposing players were between Freeman and the goal at the moment Dest kicked the ball. The deflection had no impact on the timing of the offside call. When Dest shot, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun were both in an offside position. If one of them had scored the goal or contributed to the play, the offside call would have been correct. However, neither of them participated in the play. The doubt about the initial call stems from the fact that Balogun was close to Freeman and clearly offside. What we do know is that the United States went into halftime with a 2-0 lead and a total of six goals scored in just three halves of play at the 2026 World Cup.