Luis Diaz has two goals ruled out for offside in Colombia’s World Cup clash with DR Congo

Luis Diaz had one of the most frustrating two-minute stretches in recent World Cup history on June 24, 2026. The Colombian forward found the back of the net twice against DR Congo in their group-stage match, only to have both goals chalked off for offside in rapid succession.

Diaz, one of Colombia’s most dangerous attacking weapons, produced a clinical finish that appeared to put his side in a commanding position during the World Cup group-stage encounter. The assistant referee’s flag went up immediately, ruling the goal out for offside.

What made the situation especially notable was the absence of any VAR intervention. No review, no second look, no drama at the monitor. Just a flag and a free kick going the other way.

Then it happened again. Diaz found himself flagged offside on another goal-scoring opportunity within roughly two minutes of the first disallowed effort.

The back-to-back disallowed goals gave Diaz an unwanted distinction: the highest number of offsides recorded by a single player in a World Cup match in 12 years.

The officiating debate reignites

The incident immediately reignited conversations about officiating standards at the highest level of international soccer. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted across North America, has brought renewed scrutiny to how referees and their assistants handle marginal calls in the tournament’s expanded format.

Semi-automated offside technology was introduced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to eliminate the guesswork from tight calls. Yet here we are, watching a star player have two goals wiped out with no apparent technological review to confirm the calls.

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