Darío Herrera's World Cup debut: Red card, VAR, and a face-off with Lukaku

In his World Cup debut, Argentine referee Darío Herrera navigated a tense goalless draw between Belgium and Iran, making several significant calls. The match, part of the Group G fixtures, saw Herrera utilize VAR and make decisive judgments on crucial plays.

Early in the first half, Herrera cautioned Belgium's star striker Romelu Lukaku for an action deemed reckless after he collided with Iran's goalkeeper. Lukaku visibly expressed his displeasure, confronting the referee, but Herrera maintained control of the game.

The VAR system played a pivotal role when it intervened to disallow an Iranian goal due to a marginal offside call. Later, in the second half, Herrera correctly issued a straight red card to Belgian defender Nathan Ngoy for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Despite these incidents, Herrera's overall performance was assessed as competent, marking a solid start to his World Cup officiating career.