The Football History VAR Could Have Changed: 10 Moments That Might Have Been Very Different

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VAR has become one of the most debated subjects in modern football.

It was introduced to eliminate the kind of refereeing mistakes that can change matches, tournaments and, ultimately, football history.

Yet as supporters continue to debate VAR's effectiveness particularly after controversial decisions in the modern game. It's worth looking back at what football might look like if video technology had existed decades earlier.

Some of the game's most iconic moments came alongside controversial refereeing decisions.

How different would football history actually look if today's technology had always been available?

1. Maradona's Hand of God — Argentina vs England, 1986

There is nowhere else to start.

Diego Maradona's first goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is arguably the most famous refereeing error in football history.

Maradona challenged Peter Shilton for a high ball and appeared to punch it into the net. The referee awarded the goal.

Maradona later famously described it as coming "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God."

Replays made the truth obvious. It was handball.

And remarkably, Maradona himself later admitted that the goal would not have stood if technology had been available. FIFA has quoted him saying that VAR would have ruled the goal out.

Under modern VAR protocols, the goal would have been reviewed and disallowed. But here's where the hypothetical gets interesting.

Argentina still won the match 2-1. Only four minutes after the Hand of God, Maradona scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, dribbling past several England players before rounding Shilton.

So VAR doesn't necessarily mean England win. It means Argentina would have been 0-0 rather than 1-0 ahead.

Would Maradona still have scored his second?Would England have approached the game differently? Would Argentina have gone on to win the World Cup?

Nobody knows.

But one of football's most famous goals would have disappeared from the record books.

2. Geoff Hurst's controversial goal — England vs West Germany, 1966

If Maradona's goal is the most famous example of a goal that should not have counted, Geoff Hurst's goal in the 1966 World Cup final is arguably the most famous example of a goal where nobody was completely certain whether it counted.

England and West Germany were tied 2-2 in extra time at Wembley when Hurst struck the underside of the crossbar.

The ball bounced down towards the goal line before spinning back into play. The referee consulted his linesman and awarded the goal.

England led 3-2. Hurst scored again late in extra time to complete a hat-trick and secure England's only World Cup title.

FIFA describes the incident as the most controversial goal in World Cup Final history, with the debate centred on whether the ball crossed the line.

Modern goal-line technology would have provided an immediate answer. If the entire ball had not crossed the line, the goal would not have counted.

That doesn't automatically mean West Germany win the World Cup. England would still have had time remaining and the score would have been 2-2.

But one of the defining moments in English sporting history would have been erased.

And there is a remarkable symmetry here. Diego Maradona himself later pointed to the 1966 goal when discussing how technology could have changed World Cup history.

3. Luis Garcia's 'Ghost Goal' — Liverpool vs Chelsea, 2005

This one could have changed the history of an entire club.

Liverpool faced Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-final. After a goalless first leg, Liverpool took the lead at Anfield through Luis García.

Except there was a problem. William Gallas appeared to clear García's effort from the goal line.

The assistant referee awarded the goal. Chelsea protested.

The debate over whether the ball had completely crossed the line continued for years.

Liverpool held on to win 1-0 and reached the Champions League final, where they produced the Miracle of Istanbul against AC Milan.

UEFA's contemporary report confirms that Garcia's fourth-minute goal sent Liverpool through to their sixth European Cup final.

With modern goal-line technology, the question would have been answered instantly.

If the ball hadn't crossed the line, Liverpool wouldn't have been awarded the goal.

And that produces one of the biggest football "what ifs" imaginable.

No goal. Possibly no Champions League final. Possibly no comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan. Possibly no fifth European Cup for Liverpool.

You can't say that all of those things definitely disappear.

Football doesn't work that way. But without that goal, the path to Istanbul could have been completely different.

4. Thierry Henry's Handball — France vs Ireland, 2009

This may be the clearest example of technology potentially changing a country's football history.

France were facing Ireland in a World Cup qualifying play-off. The aggregate score was 1-1 and the match went into extra time.

Then came the moment.

Thierry Henry controlled the ball with his hand before setting up William Gallas, who scored. Ireland's players immediately protested. The goal stood.

France qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Ireland didn't.

FIFA's own retrospective describes Henry controlling the ball with his hand before setting up Gallas and specifically notes that VAR did not yet exist.

Under modern VAR rules, the incident would be reviewed. The goal would be disallowed.

That of course doesn't necessarily mean Ireland qualify France could still have scored later. But the situation would have been completely different.

This is why the incident became such an important part of the conversation surrounding video technology.

A single missed handball didn't simply alter one match. It potentially altered which country went to a World Cup.

5. Frank Lampard's Ghost Goal — England vs Germany, 2010

Perhaps the most obvious argument for goal-line technology came 44 years after the Hurst controversy.

England faced Germany in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup. Germany were leading 2-1 when Frank Lampard hit the crossbar.

The ball bounced down behind the goal line before spinning back into play. No goal was awarded.

This time there was no real ambiguity. Replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.

Germany eventually won 4-1. The technology that exists today would have immediately confirmed the goal.

England would have gone into half-time level at 2-2.

FIFA itself identifies the 1966 and 2010 England-Germany incidents as two of the defining examples of goal-line controversies.

Would England have won? Again, impossible to know.

But Germany wouldn't have entered the second half with a 2-1 lead. The psychological and tactical dynamics of the game would have been completely different.

England's World Cup could have taken an entirely different direction.

Interestingly, Maradona himself highlighted Lampard's goal when discussing how technology could change football history.

6. Porto vs Manchester United — 2004

This is one of the most fascinating examples because of what happened afterwards.

Manchester United faced Jose Mourinho's Porto in the 2004 Champions League last 16.

United scored through Paul Scholes, putting themselves ahead on the night and ahead on aggregate. Scholes then appeared to score again, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

UEFA's contemporary report records Sir Alex Ferguson saying that the disallowed goal would have put United in a very comfortable position at 2-0.

Instead, Porto survived. Then, in the final moments, Costinha scored the decisive equaliser.

Porto advanced 3-2 on aggregate, then they went on to win the Champions League. That result was enormously important to Mourinho's career.

It helped transform him from a highly promising young manager into one of the biggest names in European football.

UEFA described the victory as Porto's breakthrough into the quarter-finals, while the club ultimately went on to win the competition.

So imagine changing one decision. If Scholes' goal stands, United could have gone 2-0 ahead.

Would Porto still have recovered? Would Costinha still have scored? Would Mourinho still have won the Champions League? Would Chelsea still have hired him?

Those questions cannot be answered, but the butterfly effect is enormous.

7. South Korea vs Italy — World Cup 2002

The 2002 World Cup is one of the tournaments most associated with refereeing controversy.

South Korea defeated Italy 2-1 in extra time in the last 16.

Francesco Totti was sent off after being judged to have simulated a foul inside the penalty area. Italy also had a goal ruled out for offside. The decisions became part of a highly controversial night.

With VAR, the Totti incident could have been reviewed as a potential penalty and red-card decision, while the goal could have been checked for offside.

But this is where we need to be careful. Unlike a ball crossing the goal line or a blatant handball, these decisions involve interpretation.

VAR doesn't necessarily mean Italy win. It means the referee would have had the opportunity to review key incidents with video evidence.

And if Italy advance?

The entire knockout stage changes. South Korea wouldn't have gone on to face Spain in the quarter-finals.

Their extraordinary run to the semi-finals could have ended in the last 16.

8. South Korea vs Spain — World Cup 2002

The controversy didn't end there.

South Korea then faced Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain had two goals disallowed during the match.

One was ruled out after the referee determined that the ball had gone out of play before the cross. Another was ruled out for offside.

The match finished 0-0 after extra time. South Korea won the penalty shootout.*

If either disallowed goal had been awarded, the entire match could have changed. If Spain advance, one of the most surprising World Cup semi-finalists in history never gets there.

That's the recurring theme with VAR counterfactuals. The technology doesn't tell us who would have won. It tells us that the match would have been played under different circumstances.

9. Chelsea vs Barcelona — 2009

Some incidents are perfect examples of what VAR can and cannot solve.

Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in 2009 is one of them. Chelsea appealed for several penalties during the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

None were awarded.

Barcelona eventually scored a dramatic late equaliser through Andres Iniesta and progressed to the final.

The controversy surrounding referee Tom Henning Ovrebo became one of the most memorable stories of the tie.cModern VAR would have reviewed potential penalty incidents.

This is where VAR's critics have an important point. Technology doesn't eliminate subjectivity. A handball can be reviewed. An offside can be measured.

Whether a challenge is sufficient for a penalty can still be debated.

Chelsea's 2009 defeat is therefore a useful reminder that even if VAR had existed, football would still have controversies.

They would simply be different controversies.

10. Maradona's Other Handball — 1990

And finally, we return to Maradona.

Because remarkably, the Hand of God wasn't the only time he used his hand in a World Cup. Four years later, Argentina were playing the Soviet Union in the group stage.

Maradona used his hand to stop the ball from crossing Argentina's goal line.The referee didn't see it and Argentina survived.

Maradona himself later admitted what happened.

In discussing VAR with FIFA, he acknowledged both incidents; the 1986 goal and the 1990 handball; he said that Argentina had simply been lucky because the officials didn't see it.

Under modern technology, the incident would have been reviewed. A handball preventing a goal would carry enormous consequences.

So Maradona's World Cup history provides perhaps the perfect summary of this entire debate.

In 1986, technology would have taken away one of his most famous goals. In 1990, technology could have punished him for preventing one.

And yet he was also one of the people arguing that football should embrace technology.

The Bigger Picture: What Would Football History Actually Look Like?

This is where the discussion becomes more interesting than simply listing refereeing mistakes.

VAR wouldn't necessarily tell us who would have won these matches.

It would have changed the circumstances under which the rest of the match was played.

Take the 1986 World Cup. Remove Maradona's Hand of God and Argentina are still capable of beating England.

Take away Hurst's controversial goal in 1966 and England still have time to win the World Cup.

Award Lampard's goal in 2010 and England might still lose to Germany.

Disallow Henry's handball and France could still have qualified. That's the problem with trying to rewrite history.

Football is not a computer simulation. One decision changes everything that comes afterwards. A goal changes tactics. A red card changes formations. A penalty changes psychology.

Players make different decisions because the scoreline is different.

You can't simply remove a goal and play the rest of the match exactly as it happened.

And that's what makes these incidents so fascinating, and looking at their buttfly effect.

VAR Doesn't Just Change Matches — It Can Change Football

Look at Liverpool in 2005. Without the Luis Garcia goal, perhaps there is no Istanbul. Look at Mourinho in 2004. Without Porto's victory over Manchester United, perhaps his rise takes a different route.

Look at France and Ireland in 2009. Without Henry's handball, Ireland potentially go to the World Cup instead.

Look at Argentina in 1986. Without Maradona's Hand of God, one of the most famous World Cup matches ever begins differently.

And then there's England.

Their football history contains perhaps the ultimate VAR paradox.

In 1966, a disputed goal helped them win their only World Cup. In 2010, a clearly legitimate goal was denied against Germany.

Even Maradona pointed to both incidents when arguing that technology could have rewritten World Cup history.

The Ultimate Irony

VAR was introduced because football didn't want refereeing mistakes deciding its biggest moments.

But if video technology had existed throughout football history, some of the sport's most famous moments might never have happened.

No Hand of God. Perhaps no Miracle of Istanbul. Perhaps no Mourinho celebration at Old Trafford. Perhaps no Henry handball controversy. Perhaps England's 1966 World Cup would have a completely different story. Perhaps England's 2010 elimination would have looked completely different too.

And that's the great irony of VAR. It doesn't just change the future.

If you could somehow go back and introduce it to football from the beginning, it would change the past as well.

The question isn't whether VAR would have prevented mistakes. It almost certainly would have prevented some of them.

The real question is whether we would recognise the football history that remained.

Because some of the greatest moments in the sport's history were born from the very mistakes VAR was designed to eliminate.

Sometimes, the mistakes become history.