Referee reverses penalty decision after reviewing footage on mobile phone in Argentina

During the 33rd round of the Primera Nacional match between All Boys and Godoy Cruz on October 13, 2026, referee Nicolas Lamolina triggered a significant controversy. With the score at 0-0 in the final minutes, Lamolina initially awarded a penalty to Godoy Cruz and sent off All Boys defender Ivan Zafarana for an alleged foul. However, the incident appeared to occur outside the penalty area, leading to an extraordinary protest from the All Boys team.

In the absence of a VAR system, team officials and the excluded player, Zafarana, approached the referee with a mobile phone showing the footage of the incident. Following a 23-minute delay, Lamolina reviewed the mobile video evidence and reversed his initial decision. This unprecedented event has sparked a heated debate regarding the usage of external technology in professional football matches that lack established video review infrastructure.