Embolo red card explained: the 'mistaken identity' rule that shook Argentina vs Switzerland
Breel Embolo was sent off in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final under the mistaken identity protocol. Here is what the IFAB rule says and why it is a first.
The short answer: Embolo was sent off because the yellow card for the incident had been shown to the wrong player. On 72 minutes of the Argentina vs Switzerland quarter-final in Kansas City, Leandro Paredes was booked for an alleged foul on Breel Embolo. The VAR called the referee over, the replays showed the Swiss forward falling before any contact was made — and the decision flipped: Paredes’s yellow was rescinded and Embolo was booked for simulation instead. Since he already had one, he walked. Switzerland played more than 50 minutes with ten men and went out, 3-1 after extra time.
What is a “mistaken identity” card?
It is the mechanism the IFAB provides for when “the referee shows a yellow or red card but has clearly penalised the wrong player of either team for the offence in question”. In those cases the VAR may step in, the card is cancelled and transferred to the player who actually committed the offence. What makes this one unique is the combination: never at a World Cup had a mistaken-identity review ended in a sending-off — let alone in a quarter-final.
Why did the decision cause such a storm?
Because it stacked everything that sets a big match alight: a long review, a simulation call inside the box, and elimination on the line. In Switzerland the fury made front pages; elsewhere, pundits praised the nerve it took to make the call on that stage. In the middle of it all stood Portuguese referee João Pinheiro, who confirmed the punishment after reviewing the footage — we covered how the game turned from there in our match report.
See also: the updated World Cup 2026 bracket.
By Vasco Almada
Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
