IFAB acknowledges refereeing controversy that benefited Argentina
Soccer’s lawmaking body has clarified that the wording of the VAR protocol did not allow Embolo’s yellow card for simulation to be reviewed, strengthening the argument that Switzerland’s striker was wrongly sent off against Argentina.
It was one of the biggest refereeing controversies of the World Cup, and the debate still hasn’t died down.
Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow card during his team’s quarterfinal against Argentina after the referee booked him for simulation following a VAR review.
The decision stemmed from one of the new refereeing protocols introduced by FIFA for the tournament, specifically an expansion of VAR’s role in cases involving mistaken identity. However, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has now clarified that the rule was never intended to allow officials to review whether a player had dived.
Instead, IFAB says the protocol existed solely to identify the correct player who committed the offense.
VAR could correct mistaken identity—not simulation
According to IFAB, the VAR protocol “was not intended to revoke the sanction, particularly in cases of simulation.”
The rule allows video review only when the wrong player has been cautioned.
In Embolo’s case, the striker went to ground and the referee initially awarded Switzerland a free kick while showing a yellow card to Argentina’s Leandro Paredes.
VAR then informed the referee that Paredes had not committed the foul and had been incorrectly identified.
However, IFAB now says that while VAR could intervene to correct the mistaken identity, it could not re-referee the incident itself by deciding that Embolo had simulated.
Under the wording of the law in force during the World Cup, the referee should have rescinded Paredes’ yellow card, left possession with Switzerland and should not have cautioned Embolo.
IFAB clarifies the law
The clarification appears in IFAB Circular No. 34, which explains the intended application of the new VAR protocol.
It states:
“A yellow card (caution) which is not a second yellow card can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offence that was penalised; the offence itself cannot be reviewed/changed.
The use of the mistaken identity clause to deal with simulation during the FIFA World Cup 2026 was well received and will be included in the detailed review of the VAR protocol announced in circular no. 32. however, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded."
The clarification further reinforces the argument that Embolo’s dismissal was incorrect because, under the wording of the law at the time, simulation did not fall within the scope of the mistaken identity review.
IFAB has therefore suspended the use of VAR for reviewing simulation incidents until a more comprehensive review has been completed.
At the same time, the organization indicated that the protocol could eventually be expanded to cover simulation, but only after the law has been formally rewritten to include that scenario.
UEFA reinforces VAR limits
The same principle was discussed at a meeting of refereeing officials from UEFA’s 55 member associations as they finalized officiating guidelines for the 2026-27 season.
More broadly, officials reiterated that, under the VAR protocol, video review should only intervene in cases of a “clear and obvious” error—when the referee’s decision is clearly incorrect or when an obvious incident has been completely missed.
VAR is not intended to re-referee matches. Instead, it is designed to support on-field officials, who must remain the primary decision-makers.
According to UEFA’s guidance, lengthy and exhaustive reviews are often a sign that the original decision was not clearly and obviously wrong and therefore should generally be avoided.
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