Ifab has ruled that Breel Embolo was wrongly sent off during Switzerland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina, a decision that underlines both the limits of VAR and the scale of the moment lost in Kansas City.
On Tuesday, Ifab issued a circular explaining that Embolo’s dismissal after a second yellow card in the second half should not have stood. At the time of the incident, the score was 1-1, and the red card arrived at a stage when the match was still finely balanced.
What Ifab said about the VAR limit
The key issue is not simply that the decision was wrong, but why VAR could not step in to correct it. Ifab said a yellow card that is not a second yellow can be reviewed only to identify the player who committed the offence that was punished. The offence itself cannot be reviewed or changed.
That makes Embolo’s dismissal a stark example of a grey area in the system. Once the second booking was shown, Switzerland were left to play out the rest of the match without one of their forwards, even though the governing body has now accepted that the red card was not right.
After the red card, Argentina scored twice in extra time and won 3-1. In a tight knockout game, that sequence gives the decision even greater weight, because the ruling did not just affect one incident — it helped shape the rest of the quarter-final.
A painful outcome for Switzerland
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin was blunt after the match, saying: “It destroyed our game today. We have to accept it, but it’s painful to lose that way.” He also described the decision as “unacceptable”.
That reaction now sits alongside the formal ruling from Ifab, which effectively confirms the frustration felt on the night. The incident has become a reference point for the FIFA World Cup VAR review, with the Embolo case set to be included in the detailed assessment of the protocol for 2026.
Ifab added that a separate clause involving mistaken identity and simulation, already used during the FIFA World Cup 2026 process, will also be part of that review. However, it may not be used in that form until the review is concluded.
For Switzerland, the ruling does not change the result. But it does change the record around one of the most decisive moments in their exit, and it will strengthen calls for greater clarity over how VAR should operate in high-stakes matches at the World Cup.
