FIFA Admits Critical Refereeing Error in Favor of Argentina at World Cup

FIFA has published the conclusions of the refereeing committee from the 2026 World Cup, determining that Swiss striker Breel Embolo was wrongly sent off in the quarterfinal against Argentina. The VAR intervened contrary to protocol, and the dismissal affected the match.

About a week after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA published the findings of its refereeing committee. The document determined that Breel Embolo was wrongly sent off in the quarterfinal against Argentina. The VAR intervened to overturn a yellow card for Argentine Leandro Paredes, and instead issued a second yellow card to Embolo for diving. The protocol states that a non-second yellow card can only be reviewed for player identification, not to change the nature of the offense. The erroneous decision sparked outrage in Switzerland, which was in a positive momentum. FIFA admitted the mistake, but the result stands.