Why Breel Embolo Was Sent Off as FIFA's New Rule 'Favoured' Argentina

• Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was sent off after VAR applied FIFA's new 'mistaken identity' rule
• The referee overturned his original decision and instead showed the Swiss striker a second yellow card
• Manchester United and England legend Rio Ferdinand admitted he had never seen a similar incident before

Breel Embolo's 2026 FIFA World Cup came to a dramatic end after the Switzerland striker was sent off during his side's quarter-final clash with Argentina following the intervention of FIFA's newly introduced VAR protocol.

The Rennes forward had already been booked in the first half for a foul on Leandro Paredes before the pair became involved in another incident after the break.

Switzerland had fought back to level the score through Nottingham Forest winger Dan Ndoye after Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister had given Argentina the lead.

However, the match took another controversial turn as Argentina once again found themselves at the centre of a major VAR decision following the debates surrounding their Round of 16 victory over Egypt.

Read also

Why Jude Bellingham England equaliser vs Norway should have been disallowed

Why Breel Embolo was shown a red card

During the second-half incident, referee initially penalised Paredes and showed the Argentina midfielder a yellow card.

After reviewing the footage, VAR advised the referee to conduct an on-field review under FIFA's newly introduced 'mistaken identity' rule, which allows officials to correct disciplinary decisions when the wrong player has been punished.

Replays showed Embolo had initiated the contact before appearing to exaggerate the challenge.

The referee subsequently overturned his original decision, withdrew Paredes' booking and instead issued Embolo a second yellow card, resulting in his dismissal.

The Switzerland striker was left visibly emotional and had to be escorted away as he protested the decision.

The rule, introduced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) before the tournament, allows VAR to intervene when the referee has clearly cautioned or sent off the wrong player.

The same law had already been used earlier in the World Cup during an incident involving the United States' Tim Ream and Paraguay's Miguel Almiron.

Read also

Here's why England were denied a penalty against Norway at the 2026 World Cup

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand admitted he had never witnessed such a scenario before, posting on X:

"What… never seen that happen before? Crazy scenes."

Source: YEN.com.gh