2026 World Cup: Major Controversy Over Breel Embolo’s Ejection: The New VAR Rule
Yet another incident at the 2026 World Cup. This time, the unwitting protagonist was Breel Embolo, a forward for the Swiss national team. In the 72nd minute, with the score tied atthe match against Argentina was tied at/a>, referee Pinheiro sent him off for a second yellow card. The second yellow card infuriated the entire Swiss team.
Who’s to blame? It’s all the VAR’s fault—and, specifically, a new rule introduced right during the World Cup. The key issue was a case of mistaken identity. In the controversial play, referee Pinheiro called a foul by Leadro Paredes on Breel Embolo, penalizing the tackle with a yellow card. In doing so, he triggered the VAR review.
In fact, from the VAR room, officials realized that Leadro Paredes had not committed any foul and, consequently, notified the referee, who, upon realizing his mistake, had no choice but to show the yellow card to Breel Embolo—who, having already been cautioned, was sent off.
This is nothing new. This rule was already applied in the first match between the United States and Paraguay. On that occasion, there was no red card, but the situation is identical. The referee initially shows a yellow card to an American player for a foul on Almirón. After reviewing the play, the referee realized he had made a mistake and reversed his decision, giving Almirón a yellow card. That’s exactly what happened to Breel Embolo.
