Has VAR Changed the Way We Celebrate Goals?

Jonathan Tah’s header hit the net, the players raced towards the corner, and an entire nation believed they had found the goal that could send them through. It was the 102nd minute, and Germany were 2–1 up. Then, the referee headed to the pitchside monitor, and soon afterwards the goal was chalked off for a foul on the Paraguayan goalkeeper.

By then, Germany had already celebrated as though they had one foot in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

No matter how much VAR has improved decision-making in football, it has still taken something away from the pure, spontaneous joy of a goal.

When a Goal Became a Question

Before Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was brought into football, goal celebrations followed a familiar routine: a player scored, the stadium erupted, teammates wheeled away, and those watching from home jumped to their feet. Their reactions were instinctive and immediate, even though there was still a chance that the goal might not stand.

An assistant could raise the flag, and the referee could rule goals out, but those decisions were often made relatively quickly. What makes celebrating a goal so special is the sudden release of all that built-up tension and anticipation; it happens before anyone even has time to think about how to react.

The post-VAR era is a different story. Originally, the system was introduced to improve the reliability of refereeing decisions and reduce major errors. While it has helped officials make more accurate calls, it has come at the cost of the sport’s natural rhythm. Today, doubts surrounding goals, along with all the interruptions and lengthy reviews, can make the game overwhelming to watch.

A goal may look perfectly valid, yet being offside by as little as the tip of a player’s boot, barely noticeable to the naked eye, can send both sides on an emotional rollercoaster. A review may begin after everyone has already celebrated, only for the goal to be disallowed. Sometimes, an offence earlier in the build-up can turn hope and excitement into heartbreak.

VAR did not create uncertainty; it simply extended it long after it would normally end.

When VAR Took the Goal Back

During the second leg of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League quarter-final, Manchester City needed one more goal to knock Tottenham out and reach the semi-finals. In the 93rd minute, Raheem Sterling slammed home what appeared to be a stoppage-time winner, and the entire Etihad went wild. The scoreboard flashed 5–3, and the hosts thought they had sealed their place in the last four.

However, that hope was shattered shortly afterwards when VAR spotted Sergio Agüero offside in the build-up and the goal was ruled out. Man City’s supporters had not only celebrated a goal but had also experienced the brutal emotional swing from the brink of qualification to elimination within seconds.

The Frankfurt Arena saw the same scenario play out twice in one night. When Belgium faced Slovakia in their opening group fixture at Euro 2024, they struggled to recover after conceding an early goal in the seventh minute. They did not find a breakthrough until the second half, when Romelu Lukaku appeared to level in the 56th minute, but he was found to be offside.

His second apparent equaliser came in the 86th minute, yet VAR detected a handball by his teammate Loïs Openda earlier in the move. For the second time, the goal was chalked off. That night, Belgian fans went through the same emotional whiplash twice: each would-be equaliser followed by the sinking disappointment of seeing it wiped out.

The Two-Stage Celebration

Under VAR, it almost feels as though there are two stages to a celebration: the provisional goal and the confirmed one. The first starts once the ball hits the net, right in the heat of the moment. It is automatic but emotionally risky. Players charge towards the corner and the crowd roars, but a few moments later, a VAR review gets under way. The referee might be called to check the screen, and suddenly everyone is on the edge of their seats.

Eventually, the goal is either disallowed or confirmed. In the latter case, the second stage follows, and the stands erupt all over again, this time out of sheer relief rather than pure excitement.

Today, some football fans seem to react to goals more cautiously, perhaps trying to protect themselves from the disappointment looming over every VAR check. For them, a goal celebration is no longer a natural reaction; it has almost turned into a proposal pending approval.

Anthony Gordon’s goal for Newcastle against Arsenal in 2023 is a clear example of this two-stage celebration. The Premier League match at St James’ Park saw a lengthy VAR review that involved a complex sequence. During the long pause, three separate incidents in the same move were being checked: whether the ball had gone out in the lead-up to the goal, whether Joelinton had fouled Arsenal defender Gabriel, and whether Gordon had been offside.

For about four minutes, the initial buzz of the Geordie crowd faded into doubt, and they were left waiting anxiously for the final decision. In the end, the goal was confirmed, and the referee’s whistle sparked another round of deafening cheers from the home end.

In a way, the second wave of celebration almost felt as if Newcastle had scored again.

Closest to the Action, Furthest from the Decision

VAR has created a different viewing experience for fans inside the stadium and those watching from home. During a review, TV viewers get to see the incident from various angles, with multiple slow-motion replays, graphics, and commentary.

Inside the ground, the picture is often far less clear, with supporters left watching the big screen and waiting for the final call. Ironically, those closest to the action sometimes have less context about what is happening, and the best view of the match may be from a sofa thousands of miles away.

That is not to say that VAR has no place in football. After all, a wrongly awarded goal can decide a match or even an entire tournament, and that is exactly the kind of situation the system was meant to minimise.

The Trade-Off Football Cannot Ignore

That said, VAR can decide that a goal never officially existed, but it cannot undo what the fans have already felt. The scoreline can be corrected and the match can move on, yet the celebration has already become part of the experience, whether provisional or confirmed. VAR has become a crucial part of modern football, so the challenge is not choosing between accuracy and emotion, but finding room for both.

Ultimately, we all want the right decision, but how much of the raw moment are we willing to sacrifice while waiting for it? And can fairness and spontaneity still coexist in the game?