IFAB admits VAR made mistake with Embolo's red card

The International Football Association Board has said that Switzerland striker Breel Embolo should not have received a red card during the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.

French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that IFAB, which sets the rules for the game, issued a statement saying the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) process was misused in this case.

The board explained that “a yellow card, which is not a second yellow card, can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the foul; the foul itself cannot be reviewed/modified.”

L’Equipe mentioned that IFAB confirmed VAR could step in if there is a mistake about the identity of a player who got a yellow card, “but not to change the punishment, especially in simulation situations.”

The mistake by VAR and the referee was that they should not have changed the original decision since there was no error in identifying the player who was cautioned.

In the match on July 11 in Kansas City, referee Joao Pinheiro first booked Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for a foul on Embolo. VAR got involved and asked the referee to check the incident on the pitchside monitor. Pinheiro then canceled Paredes’ yellow card and instead booked Embolo for simulation.

This decision faced heavy criticism from Switzerland’s coach Murat Yakin. He said the way the rule was applied “destroyed the game.” Embolo walked off the field in tears after being sent off.

After L’Equipe’s report, social media reactions were swift. A user with the handle #pepemariachi said, “Regardless of whether it is valid or not, if we had to hand out a yellow card for simulation, the Argentines would have finished the matches with 7 or 8 players.”

Another user, #Olive98715, added, “And as if by chance, once again in favour of Argentina.” Meanwhile, #SorineYvan commented, “A sending-off that of course changed nothing about the shape of the match anyway…”

The IFAB's statement makes it clear that officials should not have changed the first sanction because there was no real mistake in identifying the cautioned player.

This incident adds to the ongoing discussions about the expanded role of VAR during the 2026 tournament and how consistently it is applied in crucial matches.