FIFA has publicly pushed back against the International Football Association Board (IFAB), defending the decision to send off Switzerland striker Breel Embolo during their 2026 World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina.
The dispute follows a circular issued by IFAB—soccer’s lawmaking body—which acknowledged that VAR misapplied the “mistaken identity” protocol during the high-stakes match.

The Incident

During the quarterfinal clash, referee Joao Pinheiro initially cautioned Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for an apparent foul. However, VAR intervened under the mistaken identity clause, determining that Embolo had actually simulated the foul (dived).
The referee subsequently rescinded Paredes’ booking and issued a yellow card to Embolo for simulation instead. As this was the Swiss forward’s second caution of the match, he was sent off.

IFAB’s Position

In its statement, IFAB noted that the sequence of events went beyond the intended scope of the rule. The governing body clarified that the mistaken identity protocol is designed strictly to correct which player committed an offense, rather than reclassifying an incident to impose disciplinary sanctions on an opponent that lead to major escalations like a second yellow card or suspension.

FIFA’s Defense

Hours after IFAB’s circular was released, FIFA released a official statement disputing the claim that a refereeing error took place.
A FIFA spokesperson defended the decision, asserting:

“FIFA’s interpretation of Mistaken Identity was consistently applied during the FIFA World Cup. There were two instances in which a player was mistakenly identified as having committed a yellow card offence and the VAR advised the referee to correct the factual error caused by the opponent’s simulation.
The simulation itself cannot be disputed and it should not result in a disciplinary sanction against an opponent that may then lead to further consequences, such as a sending off for a second yellow card or a match suspension for accumulated cautions.
We do not consider this to have been a referee or VAR error and the decision restored justice.”

FIFA pointed to a similar incident earlier in the tournament during a group stage match between the United States and Paraguay, where referee VAR intervention transferred a yellow card from Tim Ream to Miguel Almirón for simulation.
FIFA emphasized that it considers both rulings correct applications of fairness that restored justice on the pitch, noting that discussions regarding potential formal revisions to the VAR protocol remain ongoing with IFAB.