IFAB confirms: Red card against Embolo in World Cup quarterfinal was against the rules

The decisive incident occurred in the middle of the second half of the quarterfinal. Referee Pinheiro had initially blown for a foul on Embolo and shown Argentina's Leandro Paredes a yellow card. After video assistant Guillermo Pacheco pointed him to the screen, Pinheiro changed his decision and now judged the incident as diving by Embolo. Because Embolo had already received a yellow card, the second caution led to his sending-off.

The sequence of the decisive incident

The incident had far-reaching consequences for the rest of the match. Only shortly before, Dan Ndoye had scored the equalizer for Switzerland, but after the sending-off the team lost control of the game. Argentina won the quarterfinal after extra time 3:1 and advanced to the semifinals. At the time of publication, FIFA had not yet issued an official statement on the incident.

The confirmation by IFAB carries particular weight because the umbrella organization sets the laws of the game bindingly and is therefore the final authority on questions of the rules. With the letter, what many observers had suspected immediately after the match has now become public: that the VAR's intervention in this specific case was not covered by the regulations.

Unlawful intervention by the video assistant

The case also sheds fundamental light on the handling of the video system at major tournaments. IFAB made clear that a yellow card can generally neither be reviewed nor rescinded, unless there is a case of mistaken identity involving the players concerned. Since there was no such identity error in Embolo's case, the referee should not have reversed his original decision on the basis of the video images.

For the Swiss team and their fans, the disappointment remains, even though they have now received official confirmation that the decisive incident was handled unlawfully. A replay or a correction of the result is not provided for under the statutes of world football – IFAB pointed in this connection to the finality of match results.

Consequences for Switzerland and outlook

In the sports policy debate, the incident is likely to be used as an argument for tightening the VAR regulations. Supporters of a stricter interpretation of the principle of intervention see themselves confirmed by the case, while critics of overly frequent intervention point to the now-documented misconduct. FIFA must now decide whether to draw consequences from the case and, for example, adjust the communication between referee and VAR for future tournaments.

Overall, it remains to be noted: the sporting outcome of the World Cup quarterfinal between Switzerland and Argentina can no longer be revised. However, the subsequent confirmation by IFAB provides important clarification on the regulatory assessment of the incident involving Breel Embolo and could have a lasting influence on the debate over the use of the video system in world football.