Video Assistant Refereeing has become a permanent fixture in elite European football and the 2025 final in Munich will be no exception. UEFA confirmed earlier this season that the match will employ VAR alongside semi automated offside technology operated from the organisation’s remote hub in Nyon, Switzerland.

The system integrates multiple high frame rate cameras and limb tracking software that feeds data to assistants who can advise the on field referee on clear and obvious errors. Average review time in the tournament has fallen to thirty seconds, a notable improvement compared with the one minute benchmarks recorded during the technology’s early years.

Inter supporters recall the semi final second leg against Barcelona where VAR intervention reversed a penalty decision against Alessandro Bastoni, highlighting the fine margins that can pivot entire seasons. PSG fans felt similar relief when a Vinicius Junior equaliser in the quarter final was chalked off for an offside boot lace detected by the automated calibration.

Critics remain wary of prolonged pauses and emotional drain when celebrations are halted, but broadcasters plan to air explanatory graphics during breaks, showing virtual offside lines and angle overlays to keep viewers informed. Stadium screens will replicate the feed so supporters in the ground are not left in confusing silence.

Ultimately the hope is that technology remains invisible, allowing the referee’s whistle to frame the narrative. Yet with stakes this high and margins razor thin, most observers accept that a pivotal VAR moment could define who lifts the eighteen kilogram trophy under Munich’s bright lights.