Sir Geoff Hurst, the scorer of the most controversial goal in history, said VAR was ruining football and should be abolished.
But England’s hero, who scored a hat-trick at the 1966 World Cup, says the goal-line technique that could prevent a second attack should remain.
The 82-year-old claimed he was a fan of modern technology, but said VAR was a “joke” that delayed matches and prevented fans from celebrating goals properly.
“They’re making even more wrong decisions now, and you don’t want to see people taking years to make decisions,” he said.
“It spoils the spectacle and the fans can’t cheer.
“That would actually ruin the game.”
There is still debate as to whether Sir Geoff’s second goal against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley actually crossed the line.
And 44 years later, he traveled to South Africa to witness Frank Lampard’s 2010 World Cup goal against Germany famously canceled out despite going wide.
Sir Geoff recalled: “I was on the other side of the linesman and saw the ball bounce halfway between the goal line and the back of the net.
“That was the most shameful decision we’ve ever seen in football, but then they put in goal-line technology.”
He predicts big things for Gareth Southgate’s men, especially Jude Bellingham, at next month’s Euros.
He said: “We have the best group of young players we’ve had since 1966.
“We have quality players in every position, but his biggest problem is that we can only pick 11 of them.
“If I had to pick one player, I would say Jude Bellingham.
“He’s doing surprisingly well for a 20-year-old.
“He’s in the same category as people like George Best and Bobby Charlton.”
Sir Geoff revealed that he uses his iPad to watch ‘Today’s Match’ on BBC iPlayer, but omitted any post-match analysis.
“I think they spend too much time on criticism, but that’s just one person’s opinion,” he said.
“Some of the worst commentators don’t know what to say and just hang around.”
The football legend, the last survivor of the 1966 championship, is now encouraging other seniors to learn digital skills to improve their quality of life.
Sir Geoff, who partnered with BT and Abilitynet, said: “I use internet banking and he uses the Trainline app to buy tickets.
“I use technology to keep in touch with my family and send photos. They have a WhatsApp group called Family Bantz.
“But if I have a problem, I go to my kids or grandkids, it’s that simple.
“And when we get something that could be a scam, we throw it in the bin.”