Didier Drogba, a former Ivory Coast striker, criticizes the use of VAR after the national team’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ivory Coast plays Norway in the Round of 32 and ends up losing 2-1 after the teams were level 1-1 at one point. Drogba focuses on a penalty decision involving Nicolas Pépé during the match. He says a call was not handled in a way that should have awarded a penalty, describing the decision as “disgraceful.” According to his remarks, an incident occurs midway through the second half when Pépé appears to be brought down inside Norway’s penalty area, but VAR does not result in a penalty being given. The criticism centers on the perceived failure to award a spot kick in that situation, which Drogba links to the match’s outcome. The reports frame Drogba’s comments as part of a broader dispute over VAR decision-making in the game, following Ivory Coast’s exit from the tournament.