In 2009, Dartfish arrived in Brazil with a simple yet ambitious mission: to transform the way sport is analyzed through video. What began as an investment in technology has become a continuous presence in the evolution of Brazilian football — from training sessions to on-field decision-making.
Since then, thousands of athletes, teams, and analysts have integrated our tools into their daily routines, contributing to the evolution of training, analysis, and decision-making in sport.
Over the years, we have closely followed the transformation of football in the country and the growing role of technology in this process.
VAR Implementation and Growth in Brazilian Football
The arrival of VAR in Brazilian football marked a new chapter in this evolution. In 2018, the first tests took place in the country, followed by its official implementation in the Brasileirão in 2019. In line with Dartfish mission to support fairer, clearer, and more reliable decisions in sport, in 2022 we presented our VAR system at the Ladies Cup in São Paulo, one of the first real-environment tests carried out with the support of the CBF.
In 2023, Dartfish system received FIFA certification, an important milestone that validated its quality and suitability for high-level competitive environments. From that point on, we began a progressive expansion across different federations, entering the market through a partnership with the Federação Goiana de Futebol.
In 2024, we expanded our presence to a further 7 federations. During this same year, we also achieved a significant operational milestone: the first remote VAR operation was successfully tested in December. This development demonstrated the flexibility of the Dartfish VAR system and opened new operational possibilities for federations, enabling the centralization of VAR operations without the need for a fully installed physical infrastructure inside stadiums.
“The delivery of the equipment, the implementation of the system, the training, the ongoing support, and the ease of use of the solution have given our staff even greater confidence in their work.
Dartfish has demonstrated the value and importance of this initiative.”
In January 2025, this innovation moved into official competition for the first time, during the Campeonato Estadual organized by the Federação de Futebol do Espírito Santo, marking the first official use of remote VAR in real match conditions.
Scaling VAR Technology Across Brazil
Throughout 2025, we consolidated our operations across the country, strengthening a sustainable and growing national presence.
Over this same period, we achieved six official homologations from the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol. These milestones reflect not only the evolution of the solution, but also the growing trust in its use in real competitive environments.
Our partners have played a fundamental role in this process, enabling the solution to be tested and developed in different operational contexts, including vans, VAR rooms, and container-based setups.
Continuous Innovation and Impact in the Field
The system has continuously evolved based on real-world needs in the field. Improvements such as touch monitor integration, live preview (CAM 1), and workflow optimizations have made the process faster, smoother, and better aligned with the demands of the modern game.
President of the Refereeing Commission, Espírito Santo Football Federation (FES)
“The VAR solution stood out for its ease of use, reliability, and practicality throughout the competition.
The training sessions were extremely well structured, providing our referees with the knowledge and confidence required to use the platform safely and effectively”.
Today, the Dartfish VAR system has already been used in more than 200 matches in Brazil and is present across the entire country, from north to south. This journey reflects continuous evolution, built side by side with federations, operators, and regulatory bodies, and guided by a simple principle: to constantly improve the way the game is analyzed and decided.
The journey in Brazil continues — with every match, every federation, and every decision reinforcing the same mission: to make sport clearer, fairer, and smarter through technology.
About the author
Nicole Scarparo
Sports Technology Specialist – Dartfish Brazil
