FIFA in an official statement: Embolo's sending-off was a correction of justice, and it met with the approval of the IFAB

FIFA has defended the decision to send off Switzerland's Breel Embolo during the clash with Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, insisting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention followed an approved interpretation of the "mistaken identity" clause. The incident sparked plenty of controversy, and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) weighed in too.

Posting on "X", FIFA's official account quoted a spokesperson for the international federation: "FIFA's interpretation of mistaken identity was applied consistently throughout the World Cup. There were two cases in which a player was incorrectly identified as having committed an offence warranting a yellow card, and the video referee advised the referee to correct the factual error resulting from the opponent's simulation."

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The FIFA spokesperson added: "The simulation itself cannot be questioned, and it should not lead to a disciplinary sanction against an opponent that could carry additional consequences, such as a sending-off due to a second yellow card, or a suspension resulting from the accumulation of cards."

He continued: "We do not consider that this was an error by the referee or the VAR, and the decision was a correction for justice."

Turning to the governing body's response, he went on: "We are aware of IFAB's comments contained in its circular, and we have been in contact with them the whole time. They have confirmed that this interpretation is correct, that it has been well received, and that it will be part of the discussions relating to the review of the VAR protocol, as discussed at the last annual general meeting."

What happened with Embolo?

In the second half of the Argentina versus Switzerland quarter-final, Embolo went down without any contact from Leandro Paredes. Portuguese referee João Pinheiro awarded a foul against the Argentine and showed him a yellow card.

The video referee then stepped in. After reviewing the incident, the VAR judged that Embolo had simulated being fouled, so Pinheiro cancelled Paredes's caution and switched the card to the Swiss player. It was Embolo's second of the match, and he was sent off in the 72nd minute.

Switzerland were level at 1-1 at that point. Argentina then made the extra man count, scoring twice in extra time to win 3-1 and reach the semi-finals.

A similar incident had already occurred during the Paraguay versus USA group-stage match, when Paraguayan player Miguel Almirón was cautioned for trying to deceive the referee.

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