CBF protests to FIFA over Vinícius Jr goal disallowed against Scotland in World Cup match

Brazil's football confederation (CBF) lodged a formal complaint with FIFA regarding the controversial disallowance of Vinícius Jr's second-half goal in their World Cup match against Scotland on June 24, 2026. The goal, scored in the 21st minute at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, was initially awarded by referee César Ramos but subsequently annulled following a VAR review, with the officials determining the Brazilian forward had committed a foul during play. The CBF's letter, signed by president Samir Xaud and addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, argued that the decision contradicted the tournament's established philosophy of respecting on-field referee judgments and limiting VAR interventions to clear and obvious errors. The confederation cited comparable incidents from matches involving Argentina, England, and France where on-field decisions were upheld, contrasting these with the Vinícius Jr incident and noting that even Scottish players appeared surprised by the review.

Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti visibly reacted to the disallowed goal, confronting fourth official Espen Eskas on the sideline, though his protest was tempered when his son and assistant Davide Ancelotti held him back. Despite the controversial decision, Vinícius Jr scored again later in the first half with a headed goal in the 47th minute, and Brazil ultimately won the match 2–0 to top their group in the final round of group-stage play. Ancelotti praised Vinícius Jr's performance after the match, describing him as one of the world's best players and noting the rarity of him scoring with his head.

Arbitration experts from Brazilian media outlets also criticized the disallowance. PC Oliveira, a consultant for Globo's coverage, stated that the contact was minimal and contradicted the tournament's established standard of allowing play to continue. ESPN Brasil commentators Renata Ruel and Carlos Eugênio Simon similarly concluded the goal was legal and that the VAR's intervention was incorrect based on the World Cup's own guidelines. The CBF's complaint further noted that referee Ramos had previously been involved in a controversial decision affecting Brazil during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Switzerland was awarded an equalizing goal despite an apparent foul, though the confederation emphasized this observation reflected concerns about consistency rather than questioning the referee's integrity.