Thomas Tuchel fears that “erratic” and “not good enough” refereeing means that every team left in the World Cup is always at risk of being suddenly sent home.The England head coach was incensed by the officiating in England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in the last-16, in which Jarell Quansah was sent off and a penalty was given to Mexico after a foul by Harry Kane.Both of those decisions were given after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) recommended a review to match official Alireza Faghani and Tuchel said that decisions were being overturned at this tournament “in a very questionable way”.Even after a famous victory, Tuchel could not contain his frustration, not just with the officials in the Estadio Azteca but with the overall standard of officiating at this tournament. He added that he believes that all remaining teams are facing the prospect of having their World Cup ended up by bad call.“The referees can send any team out in any moment,” Tuchel said. “It’s just not good enough. It’s just erratic. It’s just unreliable in matches. Now we have two fourth officials who just scream at you if you put one foot out of a coaching zone. It’s just not good enough.”Although England ended up on the wrong side of two VAR calls on Sunday night, Tuchel’s issue was more with the process and the inconsistency of the decision-making. Asked whether he would speak to his players about the way VAR processes are being applied, Tuchel said there was no point.“What can they do? What can they do? We give everything and then decisions are overturned in a very questionable way,” Tuchel said. “But it’s not only about the big decisions, the little decisions, the consistency in the decisions. You’re just out there, it’s like almost on the open sea, in front of the court, you don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re just not on the level.”Tuchel believes that the raised level of this World Cup means that officiating standards have to move with them. And he believes that the evidence of this tournament is that they have not.“You play at a high level now,” he explained. “The so-called underdogs, the so-called little nations, like we played DR Congo, they play on the highest level. Cape Verde plays on the highest level. You need highest level refereeing. There are all athletes out there, the game has changed massively and it’s just not good enough. It’s just not good enough for the players, or for the game.”Jul 6, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms