The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has confirmed that Switzerland's Breel Embolo should never have been sent off during the quarter-final clash against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, ruling that the video technology review which led to the player's second yellow card was not valid.
According to IFAB, Embolo did not deserve to be dismissed after picking up a second yellow following a video technology review for simulation to win a foul. The decision changed the course of the match in the 72nd minute, shortly after Switzerland had grabbed a 1-1 equaliser.
That dismissal fed into Argentina's 3-1 win after extra time, a result that stirred plenty of objections. Egypt's players and coaches were among those to criticise the referees for favouring Lionel Messi's team in their calls.
Recognised by FIFA, the board published a clarification on the regulations for using video technology on Monday. It confirmed that the VAR protocol for "mistaken identity" cases could not be applied to this type of incident during the World Cup, even though it may be used in future competitions.
An official statement from IFAB read: "However, the protocol may not be used in this way until that review is complete."
Embolo went down after a collision with Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who received a yellow card.
Video technology officials then told the referee that Paredes had not committed a foul. Embolo picked up a yellow card instead, his second, and was sent off.
Such an incident does not reflect how the "mistaken identity" rule is currently meant to work. It exists to correct the referee's decision when a card goes to the wrong player, one who did not commit the original offence being punished.
Murat Yakin, the Switzerland coach, said after the match in Kansas City: "The referee made the wrong decision. I know they will protect their referee, but this rule destroyed our match today, and that is very painful, and going out this way hurts a lot."
IFAB explained that the card "can only be reviewed to determine the identity of the player who committed the offence for which they were punished, and the offence itself cannot be reviewed or changed".
A review of the video technology protocol has been under way since March, and the board acknowledged that incidents like Embolo's fall within it.
Based in Zurich, the board said: "The use of the mistaken identity clause to deal with simulation during the 2026 World Cup was well received."
FIFA-appointed officials make up IFAB, alongside the four British football associations.
Every February or March, its annual meeting updates the laws of the game, which then come into force at major tournaments or during the following season.