The impact of VAR felt uneasy initially, as wouldn't you like to see France, Spain sweat more against Australia, Iran than enjoying a welfare of thin decisions on penalties, goals, offsides? Eventually, this VAR impact could turn out much better than in American sports. So far, the first instances reveal the depth of football's consequential ambiguities. Just comparing the penalty area hands in Portugal-Iran, Argentina-Australia, Sweden-Mexico is an epistemological headache. And then there are questions of consistency, frequency of consulting VAR.

Has anyone noted any dives this tournament?

It depends what you would call a dive. Particularly inside opponent's penalty area, many players seem to be very skillful in leverage minimal body contacts into "obvious" faults. The very first VAR penalty in France-Australia was a harsh reminder to Australia that players always stumble on defenders on the ground:

So, at 0:22, isn't Griezmann loosing balance on the wrong leg, a full step behind the defender?

And in this clear penalty in Argentina-Nigeria, that movement towards ground from 0:04, was it Mascherano pulling Balogun down, or... Balogun vigorously leaning into Mascherano?

These semi-dives are quite ubiquitous, and their resolution is another epistemological headache.