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World Cup officials in focus as VAR, stoppage time and cooling breaks shape final group games
Ecuador stunned Germany, Ivory Coast reached the knockouts, the Netherlands topped Group F and Turkey beat the United States with a late winner on a World Cup day shaped by VAR, game management and cooling breaks.
The Ref’s News · 26 June 2026
World Cup group-stage football is often about goals, qualification and late drama. But on Thursday, the officials were just as central to the story.
Across the day’s fixtures, VAR, stoppage time, game management and cooling breaks all shaped the rhythm of matches as teams fought for knockout places.
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