Is the VAR even allowed to intervene in Embolo's dive?

Here's what it's all about

• Shortly after Switzerland tied the game, Breel Embolo was sent off with a yellow-red card for diving.
• The VAR intervened because Argentina's Leandro Paredes had initially been cautioned. FIFA considers this a case of "mistaken identity."
• Critics argue, however, that it was not just the player's call that was overturned, but the entire decision.

Summary created with

Shortly after Dan Ndoye’s equalizer, the Nati’s World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina seems wide open again. Switzerland is back in the game, and the fans are hoping for an upset. But then comes the moment that would define the evening.

Breel Embolo goes down on the sideline after a tackle by Leandro Paredes. Referee João Pinheiro initially calls a foul and shows the Argentine a yellow card. But then the VAR intervenes.

The replay shows: Embolo takes off early, seeks contact, and falls. Pinheiro rescinds the yellow card against Paredes and instead shows the Swiss player a yellow card for diving. Because Embolo has already been cautioned, he must leave the field. It’s the final blow for the Swiss national team, which ultimately loses the game 1–3 in extra time.

Opinions on the dive are clear—but what about VAR?

Even many Swiss fans don't deny that Embolo seeks contact and dives. As a result, the striker has faced some harsh criticism on social media.

Embolo goes down against Paredes—it's his last play.

Associated Press

In a discussion on Reddit, one user writes that Embolo “fell so hard” that Paredes was wrongly shown a yellow card. Another user called the move unnecessary and stupid—especially since Embolo had already been booked. The consensus: The move was unnecessary and stupid, and the dive was absolutely obvious.

But what about the yellow-red card? Opinions are divided on this. For as undisputed as the play is, the debate over whether VAR should have intervened at all is just as heated.

The national team coach has a clear opinion:

«Embolo ist am Boden zerstört»

Murat Yakin tobt gegen den Schiri

Since the introduction of VAR, the video assistant has been allowed to intervene in cases of so-called “mistaken identity”—that is, when the referee clearly penalizes the wrong player with a yellow or red card. Until now, it was clear that this applied only to players on the same team. So, for example, if Remo Freuler receives a yellow card even though Granit Xhaka committed the foul, the VAR may correct this.

However, FIFA interprets this rule much more broadly and announced before the tournament that players from the opposing team may also be “punished as a corrective measure.”

Here’s what happened: Because Paredes was initially shown a yellow card—even though Embolo had committed the foul warranting a caution with his dive—the Argentine was considered the “wrongly penalized player.” The VAR was therefore allowed to intervene and issue the card to the Swiss player. According to SRF refereeing expert Sascha Amhof, the teams were briefed on this interpretation before the World Cup, and all teams were aware of it.

A similar scene had already occurred during an earlier World Cup match

Nor is this the first time this interpretation of the rules has been applied at the 2026 World Cup. An almost identical scene unfolded during the World Cup match between the U.S. and Paraguay. There, too, after a VAR review, what was initially deemed a foul turned out to be a dive—and the yellow card was issued to the opposing team. FIFA later explicitly defended this decision, attributing it to a player mix-up.

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That’s exactly how the refereeing experts Sascha Amhof on SRF and Lutz Wagner on ARD explained it. Wagner said the wrong player shouldn’t be shown a yellow card. Consequently, it was the right call to caution Embolo for diving.

SRF commentator Sascha Ruefer reacts angrily at first. “To me, this is a scandal,” he says during the broadcast, fundamentally questioning the purpose of VAR.

However, after refereeing expert Sascha Amhof explains the new interpretation, Ruefer withdraws his accusation. “I still find it incomprehensible,” says Ruefer.

For Switzerland, it remains a bitter red card. Embolo is unable to hold back his tears later on—and the Swiss national team loses the quarterfinal while down a man.