Swiss Coach Slams VAR Rule After Embolo Red Card in World Cup

Switzerland had fought back to level the match at 1-1 through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute and were beginning to build momentum when the game's turning point arrived just five minutes later.

Embolo went to ground during a midfield challenge with Argentina's Leandro Paredes, prompting Portuguese referee João Pinheiro to initially show a yellow card to Paredes. However, the Video Assistant Referee advised the official to review the incident under the protocol covering cases where the wrong player may have been sanctioned.

After reviewing the replay on the pitchside monitor, Pinheiro concluded that Embolo had started falling before any contact from Paredes. The referee rescinded Paredes' yellow card and instead booked Embolo for simulation. Having already been cautioned in the first half, the Swiss forward received a second yellow card and was sent off.

Yakin argued that neither player deserved a booking, describing the incident as harmless and insisting the referee should simply have allowed play to continue.

"It is completely unacceptable that we were punished because of such a rule," Yakin said after the match. "The VAR intervention was unnecessary, and this rule has nothing to do with football."

The Swiss coach added: "This rule destroyed our match. Losing in this way is very painful. Unfortunately, we have to accept the decision."

According to Yakin, Switzerland had started to take control of the contest after equalising against the defending world champions and were gaining confidence before the red card dramatically altered the course of the match.

Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler also questioned the decision and said the team would seek an explanation from FIFA over how a VAR intervention in such an incident could have such a decisive impact on the game.

Embolo was left in tears after being shown the red card and had to be consoled by teammates as he left the pitch. Yakin refused to blame his striker, insisting the forward was devastated and that the dismissal resulted from an incorrect refereeing decision.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, football's law-making body, IFAB, expanded the scope of the "wrong player identified" protocol, allowing VAR to intervene even if an offence committed by a player from the opposing team is detected after another player has initially been cautioned. The Argentina-Switzerland match marked only the second time the revised interpretation had been applied during the tournament.

Despite playing with 10 men, Switzerland held Argentina until the 112th minute before Julián Álvarez broke the deadlock in extra time. Lautaro Martínez added another goal in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 victory and send the defending champions into the semi-finals, ending Switzerland's dream run in their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954.

MMR