CBF Releases VAR Audio From Controversial Botafogo vs Mirassol Incident

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) released the VAR audio from the controversial moment in Botafogo’s 3-3 draw with Mirassol, part of Round 12 of the 2025 Série A, according to Lance!. The incident occurred in stoppage time when João Victor went down inside the box after contact with Botafogo full-back Cuiabano.

Referee Bruno Pereira Vasconcelos was advised to review the play on the monitor by VAR official Emerson de Almeida Ferreira. In the audio, Emerson stated: “There is contact, and the defender is not playing the ball. Now I need to confirm if the ball was in play.”

The review confirmed a foul, but the offside line showed João Victor was ahead at the start of the move. Vasconcelos initially called a penalty but overturned the decision after the offside check. “For me, it’s a clear penalty. The defender steps in and impacts the play. But since the attacker was offside, I will restart with an indirect free kick,” the referee explained.

The game ended level at 3-3 at Nilton Santos Stadium. Botafogo had raced to a three-goal lead in the first half, only for Mirassol to mount an extraordinary comeback with three goals in 16 minutes, leaving the dramatic clash overshadowed by the refereeing controversy.