It was a tough night for Switzerland, but a crucial turning point for Argentina.
Just five minutes after Dan Ndoye found the net to level the score for Switzerland, Briel Embolo was handed a second yellow card for simulation.
This decision followed an earlier yellow card issued to Argentina’s Leandro Paredes, and, after VAR got involved over an apparent “mismatch of status,” referee João Pinheiro decided to send Embolo off for diving.
Regardless of whether Embolo actually dove, Swiss players expressed their outrage at the decision, which played a significant role in their eventual 3–1 loss during extra time.
“This is an absolute disaster,” Remo Freuler said to the press. “I really don’t understand what the referee was doing. I can’t get why he’d make such a call in that moment. There were numerous fouls in the first half that warranted yellow cards too. So… how can VAR change the game like this?”
His teammate Granit Xhaka remarked that such decisions can “end the game.” He noted, “I think the red card shifted the momentum for us. The locker room felt so quiet after—it was quite disappointing and tough to accept.”
Embolo’s second yellow stemmed from the “incorrect status” rule. If Paredes hadn’t been cautioned earlier, Embolo likely wouldn’t have received a warning at all.
Switzerland’s coach Murat Yakin called the rule “completely incomprehensible.” He pointed out, “He issued a yellow card in a situation where there were earlier fouls that also deserved one. For me, that was a harmless play—or maybe it was a foul, but still.”
He added, “The referees defended their decision based on rules that ruined the game. It’s really painful.”
Embolo became the first player to be sent off under the “difference of status” rule at this summer’s World Cup.
At 33 years old, he might have played his last World Cup match, leaving the field in tears.
Argentina managed to score two goals from Julián Álvarez and Lisandro Martínez in extra time, just moments before a potential penalty shootout.
