The Argentina vs Switzerland match in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals turned into one of the tournament's most controversial games, after the referee's decision to send off Swiss striker Breel Embolo with a second yellow card following a VAR review sparked a wave of criticism, amid accusations that the decision changed the course of the match, which ended with Argentina winning and advancing to the semifinals.

Among the most prominent critics was former Al-Ahly and Egypt national team goalkeeper Ahmed Shobair, who wrote on his X account: "Oh my, Switzerland dared and drew with Argentina and was on its way to winning, then the referee canceled a yellow card for an Argentine player, and miraculously it turned into a second yellow for Switzerland's Embolo.. Have you ever seen such a refereeing dawn? You made us hate Messi and football."

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Switzerland coach Murat Yakin also expressed his strong anger at the decision, stressing that the second yellow card had no justification, saying: "There was no justification for that yellow card. I don't understand it. It was an innocent situation and had no negative impact. The referee's mistake punished us and ruined our entire plan." He added: "That decision was simply unbelievable. I completely disagree with it. There was clear contact, and I don't understand how the referee and VAR reached that conclusion." Yakin continued: "Switzerland had the right to feel wronged. Argentina is a great team, but matches of this importance should not be decided by controversial refereeing decisions." Despite his criticism, the Swiss coach was keen to congratulate his opponent, saying: "I'm not saying they were favored. We played a fair and open match. Both teams played football. Football did not win. We were punished for a mistake. It was a decisive moment in the match result. Now we can complain, but I must congratulate Argentina. I don't want to dwell on this any further."

Yakin was not the only one to express his discontent; Switzerland player Dan Ndoye also attacked the referee's performance after the final whistle, saying: "If you gave our player a second yellow card for simulation, why didn't you also give one to the Argentine players? They were simulating throughout the match and didn't get any yellow cards."

These statements sparked a wide discussion among fans and analysts, with many seeing the sending-off as the turning point that gave Argentina a numerical advantage to decide the match, while others considered that the referee applied the law according to his judgment after reviewing the VAR.

Amid Arab criticism and angry statements from the Swiss side, the refereeing decisions became the main headline of the match, opening a new door of controversy over the role and impact of VAR in decisive matches during the 2026 World Cup.