Football's law-making body, Ifab, has confirmed that Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was wrongly sent off during this month's World Cup quarter-final clash against Argentina. The decision, outlined in a circular issued on Tuesday, casts a shadow over a pivotal moment in the match.
Embolo received a second yellow card in the second half with the score level at 1-1. The incident occurred after the 29-year-old went down following a challenge from Leandro Paredes. Initially, the referee booked the Argentina midfielder, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened, informing the official that Paredes had not committed a foul. The referee subsequently booked Embolo for simulation, leading to his dismissal.
Argentina went on to score twice in extra time, beating the 10-man Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City to reach the semi-finals. Ifab clarified that while VAR can be used to correct mistaken identity when the wrong player is booked, it cannot be used to review the offence itself. Ifab stated: "A yellow card (caution) which is not a second yellow card can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offence that was penalised; the offence itself cannot be reviewed / changed."
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin expressed his frustration, calling the rule behind Embolo's sending-off "unacceptable" after the loss denied his team a historic semi-final berth. He added: "It destroyed our game today. We have to accept it, but it's painful to lose that way."