‘Destroyed the game’ - Switzerland fume at controversial ‘mistaken identity’ red card as referee in World Cup quarter-final clash with Lionel Messi & Argentina is branded a ‘disaster’

Switzerland head coach Yakin did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating following his side's heartbreaking extra-time defeat to Argentina. The Swiss were level and growing in confidence before a VAR review saw Embolo dismissed, leaving them to play with 10 men for over an hour of football against the defending world champions.

Speaking after the match, a frustrated Yakin said: "It’s completey not understandable. I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today." The coach emphasised how the decision shifted the momentum of the tie, adding: "It was decisive for the entire outcome of the match. This is a rule that in my opinion has nothing to do with football. The fact that they introduced such a rule is just unnecessary. It is just extremely hurtful."

The controversy began when Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro initially booked Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for a challenge on Embolo. However, video assistant referee Guillermo Pacheco Larios recommended an on-field review for "mistaken identity," leading the official to conclude that Embolo had actually dived. The yellow card for Paredes was rescinded and shown to Embolo instead, resulting in a second caution and a red card for the Rennes forward.

Midfielder Remo Freuler was equally scathing of the officiating standards at the Kansas City Stadium. Freuler stated: "It’s just a disaster. I don’t know what the referee is doing here. I don’t understand why they call him for a situation like this because there are many fouls like this in the first half. Maybe he has to call them for yellow card too. I don’t understand how can VAR change a game with this situation. Just let the referee do his thing, you know?"

Embolo was seen in tears as he left the pitch. The striker had been a key threat for the Swiss, but found himself the victim of a strict application of IFAB's new rule updates for the 2026 tournament. The Switzerland bench exploded in anger when the decision was announced, while Embolo had to be escorted to the dressing room by his teammates.

Yakin offered an insight into the mood in the dressing room, explaining the impact on his star attacker. Yakin said: "You can imagine how he’s doing. He is shattered. He couldn’t help the team today. It hurts us and it hurts him. It was a referee mistake. There was definitely no reason to award that yellow card. I don’t understand it, it was a harmless situation."

While the term "mistaken identity" was traditionally used when a referee booked the wrong player for a foul, IFAB expanded the definition ahead of this World Cup. The new interpretation allows VAR to intervene if a player is booked when the offense was actually committed by the opposing player, such as simulation. This is the second time the rule has appeared in the tournament, following a similar incident involving USMNT defender Tim Ream and Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron earlier in the group stages.

Despite FIFA's stance that the technology is being applied correctly, the Swiss camp remains unconvinced. The one-man advantage eventually told in extra time as Argentina scored twice through Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez to secure their spot in the semi-finals. For Switzerland, the sense of injustice remains the overriding emotion of their North American campaign.

"This is a rule that in my opinion has nothing to do with football," Yakin added. "The fact that they introduced such a rule is just unnecessary. It is just extremely hurtful."