Be'er Sheva's Winning Goal Disallowed After VAR Review in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva suffered a 2-1 defeat to Vikingur Reykjavik in Iceland on July 25, 2026, in a crucial UEFA Champions League qualifying match. The Israeli team had initially taken the lead with a goal from Niv Yehoshua, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. The offside call was reportedly for a passive offside early in the play when the ball reached Zahi Ahmed, who was not in an offside position. The disallowed goal came just 2.5 minutes into the match, a decision that effectively denied Be'er Sheva a vital away victory.

The match referee was Slovakian official Philip Glova, who has experience officiating national cup finals and Europa League group stage matches over the past six seasons but has never refereed a Champions League game before. Be'er Sheva players expressed strong frustration over the decision, questioning the offside call and the VAR process, with one player sarcastically comparing the VAR review to a Shin Bet investigation. The VAR system is used throughout all Champions League qualifying rounds, and the decision was upheld after video review.

Following this loss, Be'er Sheva must now win their next match to advance to the next stage of the Champions League qualifiers. The controversy surrounding the disallowed goal has sparked criticism within the club and among fans, highlighting the challenges of VAR interpretations in high-stakes European matches.