IFAB says VAR sending-off in World Cup was a mistake

Soccer's global rule-making body has acknowledged that a referee incorrectly sent off Switzerland forward Breel Embolo during a World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina earlier this month, a decision that altered the course of the match. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) clarified in a circular published on July 27 that the video assistant referee (VAR) protocol was misapplied, leading to Embolo's controversial dismissal.

The incident occurred in the 72nd minute of the July 2026 match in Kansas City, with the score level at 1-1. Argentina's Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Embolo. After a VAR review, referee Joao Pinheiro was informed that Paredes had not committed a foul. The official then rescinded the yellow card for Paredes and instead booked Embolo for simulation, which was the Swiss striker's second yellow card, resulting in a red card and his ejection from the game.

In its new guidance, IFAB stated that while VAR can intervene in cases of "mistaken identity" to correct which player is booked for a penalized offense, it cannot be used to review the nature of the offense itself. Therefore, the referee's authority was...