VAR on the Hot Seat as Barça Cruise Past Mallorca
7 February 2026
Match snapshot
Barcelona clearly outclassed Mallorca on the pitch and on the scoreboard in the 23rd round of La Liga, played before a modest crowd and amid broad refereeing controversy.
Key moments and controversy
The Barça side secured a 3-0 victory with goals by Lewandowski, Yamal and Bernal, lifting the Catalan club to 58 points at the top, while Mallorca sit on 24 points in 15th place.
The ArchivVAR account, a specialist in refereeing decisions on X, highlighted two incidents that should have counted as penalties for Barcelona.
First, a handball by defender David López inside the box, where the arm moved toward the ball, changing its path, meeting the criteria for a penalty.
Second, a foul by Mojica on Lamine Yamal inside the area, as he placed his foot in front of him without touching the ball, clearly impeded him.
The account argued that the failure of Referee Iglesias Villanueva to intervene with VAR technology represented a total and inexplicable breakdown of video review in the match.
Final thoughts: the match delivered a dominant Barça performance, but the debate over officiating lingered long after the final whistle.
Punchline 1: If VAR had a mood ring, today it would be blinking 'conflicted'.
Punchline 2: Barcelona won 3-0, and the only thing clearer than the scoreline is that fans will keep debating those calls until the next game.
