One moment, Switzerland had Argentina under pressure in a World Cup quarterfinal. Minutes later, a lengthy VAR review left the Swiss with 10 players and changed the direction of the match.
Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina a 10th minute lead by flicking Lionel Messi’s corner into the far side of the net. Switzerland responded after halftime, forcing Emiliano Martínez into several saves before Dan Ndoye equalised in the 67th minute. Ndoye exchanged passes with Ricardo Rodríguez and slipped his finish through the goalkeeper’s legs.
The Swiss appeared ready to take control. That momentum disappeared 5 minutes later when referee João Pinheiro sent off Breel Embolo for simulation following a video review.
Argentina still needed extra time to break down a disciplined Swiss defence. Julian Alvarez finally struck in the 112th minute before Lautaro Martinez completed a 3 to 1 victory. Argentina advanced to face England, but the review that removed Embolo has become the tournament’s latest refereeing dispute.
A Review That Rewrote The Match
Pinheiro initially awarded Switzerland a free kick and booked Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes. Video officials then asked him to examine the incident under FIFA’s expanded mistaken identity protocol.
Replays convinced Pinheiro that Paredes had not fouled Embolo. The referee removed the yellow card from the Argentina player, cancelled Switzerland’s free kick and booked Embolo for simulation. Since Embolo had already received a caution, the decision sent him off.
VAR did far more than correct the name written in the referee’s notebook. The review changed which team had committed the offence, reversed possession, and produced a dismissal from a sequence that had originally punished Argentina.
Switzerland had just equalised and was carrying the greater attacking threat. Embolo gave the team a direct option through the middle and allowed it to push Argentina’s defenders toward their own goal.
His dismissal forced Switzerland to retreat. Coach Murat Yakin questioned why officials intervened in what he considered a harmless incident, saying, “This rule destroyed our game today, and it is incredibly painful.”
The Swiss response reflected that frustration. Yakin’s players dropped deeper, protected the centre of the pitch and continued resisting Argentina despite losing their main attacking outlet. They came close to forcing a penalty shootout as goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and the defence survived repeated pressure.
Messi narrowly missed during stoppage time, but Argentina eventually broke through in the 112th minute. Alvarez struck from long range and sent the ball into the top corner beyond Kobel’s reach.
Martínez added Argentina’s 3rd goal 9 minutes later after converting the rebound from Thiago Almada’s shot. The final score looked comfortable, but it did not reflect how close Switzerland came to taking the champions to penalties.
Why FIFA Could Review The Incident
The International Football Association Board approved wider VAR powers on February 28. The 2026/27 Laws of the Game formally took effect on July 1, although competitions that started earlier could introduce the changes before that date.
FIFA chose to use the new provisions at the World Cup. The tournament, therefore, became the 1st major global competition to test rules that had received little practical use before the opening match.
Under the revised protocol, VAR may review a red card caused by a clearly incorrect 2nd yellow card. Officials may also intervene when a referee penalises the wrong team and cautions or dismisses the wrong player.
That wording opened the door for the Embolo review.
Pinheiro had awarded Argentina a yellow card for an offence that officials later decided had not occurred. Video officials treated the incident as mistaken identity because the referee had punished the wrong player and, in their view, the wrong team.
Former FIFA referee Christina Unkel challenged that interpretation during an interview with ITV. She argued that officials used the protocol to reassess the entire incident rather than to correct a limited mistake.
Many viewers accepted that Embolo went down too easily. Some even believed he deserved a booking for trying to deceive the referee. The dispute concerns whether VAR should have entered the sequence through a provision intended to fix mistaken identity.
Fans and pundits quickly clashed over the decision. One side viewed the review as an accurate correction that punished simulation. The other saw it as an expansion of VAR into an incident that the system would not previously have touched.
Earlier Complaints Raised The Temperature
This was not Argentina’s 1st officiating controversy of the tournament.
Algeria sent a formal letter to FIFA’s refereeing commission following its 3 to 0 group stage defeat. The complaint focused partly on Messi stepping on captain Aissa Mandi’s calf without receiving a card. Messi remained on the field and scored 3 goals, while Algeria also questioned an unpunished challenge by Mac Allister.
Egypt then criticised the officiating after losing 3 to 2 in the last 16. The Egyptians led 2 to 0 with 11 minutes remaining before Argentina completed a dramatic comeback. Mostafa Zico had a goal disallowed after VAR identified an earlier foul in the buildup, and Egypt later appealed for a penalty when Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge. Officials rejected the claim before Enzo Fernández scored Argentina’s winner in the 92nd minute.
Those complaints have made the optics worse for FIFA. Every disputed decision that benefits Argentina now feeds an online narrative that the defending champions receive favourable treatment.
Still, a series of angry opponents does not prove deliberate pro-Argentina bias. Unkel found no clear evidence of poor refereeing in the Algeria and Egypt matches, while FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina rejected claims of favouritism and defended the independence of the tournament’s officials.
The problem for FIFA is one of trust. Even defensible decisions now face immediate suspicion because earlier controversies have created an increasingly hostile atmosphere around Argentina’s run.
England Awaits Under Intense Scrutiny
Argentina will meet England in Atlanta with a place in the World Cup final at stake. Lionel Scaloni’s side are attempting to become the 1st nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.
The champions deserve credit for surviving another difficult knockout match. Switzerland disrupted their rhythm, attacked with purpose, and remained competitive despite playing with 10 men.
Argentina stayed patient. Alvarez and Martinez eventually delivered the goals that carried their team into the semifinal.
The controversy will follow them into the England match. Supporters, analysts and rival teams will scrutinise every whistle, replay and consultation involving the officials.
FIFA must show that its expanded VAR protocol can produce consistent decisions without allowing the replay booth to take control of incidents the system was never designed to review. Argentina, meanwhile, must ensure that its football becomes the central story again.
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FAQs
Q1. Why was Breel Embolo sent off against Argentina?
A. VAR ruled that Embolo simulated contact. The booking was his 2nd yellow card, so referee João Pinheiro sent him off.
Q2. What did the mistaken identity review change?
A. It removed Leandro Paredes’ yellow card, cancelled Switzerland’s free kick and transferred the caution to Embolo.
Q3. Who scored for Argentina against Switzerland?
A. Alexis Mac Allister scored in normal time. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez added the extra-time goals in Argentina’s 3 to 1 win.
Q4. Why did Switzerland criticise the VAR decision?
A. Coach Murat Yakin believed the intervention destroyed Switzerland’s momentum after his team had equalised and begun threatening Argentina.
Q5. Who will Argentina play in the World Cup semifinal?
A. Argentina will face England in Atlanta for a place in the World Cup final.
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