The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has begun to define the upcoming technological advancements that will be implemented in local competitions, confirming that VAR will arrive at the Copa Argentina in the round of 16 and announcing that from 2027, the semi-automatic offside system will be used.
The video assistant referee will be available starting from the round of 16 of the Copa Argentina, unlike the previous edition where it was only used in the final between Independiente Rivadavia and Argentinos Juniors.
In this way, the teams that manage to advance in the tournament already know that the refereeing decisions will have the support of technology in the decisive matches.
On the other hand, the main novelty communicated by the AFA is the incorporation of semi-automatic VAR, a system that currently operates in top-level competitions such as the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and several of the major European leagues.
According to the entity, President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia held meetings with the project leaders along with representatives from the company responsible for VAR in Argentine football to advance the implementation of this tool during the next year.
Before its official debut, the system will undergo pilot tests towards the end of this year. These trials will involve specialized companies such as Hawk-Eye, the technology provider for FIFA and UEFA, and Genius Sports, a company that provides services in the Premier League, Conmebol, Brazil, and Mexico.
