Switzerland’s Breel Embolo shouldn’t have been sent off against Argentina in World Cup quarters, says IFAB

Soccer’s law-making panel clarified its guidance to referees which confirmed Switzerland forward Breel Embolo should not have been sent off in the World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina. Embolo’s second yellow card, after a video review for simulating being fouled, changed the momentum of the game in the 72nd minute soon after Switzerland tied the score at 1-1. Argentina won 3-1 in extra time with help from the red-card decision that fueled complaints, including from previous opponent Egypt, referees were favoring Lionel Messi’s team with decisions. The FIFA-backed rules panel known as the IFAB published a clarification Monday that VAR protocol for “mistaken identity” cases was not eligible for that type of incident at the World Cup, though it could be in future competitions. “However, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded,” the Zurich-based IFAB said in a statement.