No matter what you think about referees, Saturday night was another chapter in the book detailing how a nation’s hopes could be dashed by a small plastic rectangle.

It was 72 minutes into Switzerland’s World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Kansas City. The score was, just a few minutes prior, locked at 1-1, after Dan Ndoye finished around the Albiceleste’s Emi Martínez, cancelling out Alexis Mac Allister’s opener.

Looking to press on with new momentum, Swiss striker Breel Embolo looked to control the ball on edge of the Argentine third, when, to referee Joao Pinheiro, it appeared that Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes had cleaned out Embolo from behind.

Pinheiro, who was also the man in the middle for South Africa and Canada’s Round of 32 match, duly brandished a yellow card to Paredes.

Except, moments later, the Portuguese referee was called to the monitor for a potential case of ‘mistaken identity’.

On the replay, it was clear that Embolo had embellished the foul, dropping to the ground as Paredes moved across behind him. While simulation would have normally resulted in a yellow card, Embolo had already been booked once in the 44th minute, making this his second bookable offence of the match.

Related Read: Argentina reach World Cup semifinals with extra time win vs. Switzerland, will play England next

The controversy? How a situation between two players on two different teams, wearing two vastly different kits, could be ‘mistaken identity’.

The cause, as GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs explained, lies with a change to IFAB’s wording of the mistaken identity law to read unclearly when “the wrong player of either team for the offence in question” has been penalized. IFAB, or the International Football Association Board, manages the sport’s Laws of the Game.

Under a strict interpretation of the rules, the reviews were allowable, and even correct, but still don’t sit well within the spirit of the game, where ‘mistaken identity’ to most people, leads to a flashback when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was incorrectly sent off instead of his Arsenal teammate Kieran Gibbs in a 2014 Premier League match against Chelsea.

Wrong player, but crucially, same team.

The problem with the new ‘mistaken identity’ rule is that it sets a dangerous precedent.

Breel Embolo dived, so if called on the field it’s a second yellow, but that wasn’t the decision.

Yet an amendment to IFAB wording before the tournament states: “When the referee shows a… pic.twitter.com/xKhopGR7DU

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 12, 2026

The reaction on Saturday night, as with FIFA’s bold decision to waive Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for the USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium, and when Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko had his first goal ruled off, also against Argentina, in the Round of 16, was swift.

“I find that we’re now officially entering the zone of re-refereeing the game.”@ChristinaUnkel discusses whether the right decision was made when Leandro Paredes’ yellow card was rescinded and given to Breel Embolo 👀 pic.twitter.com/fxNzBmo3gO

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 12, 2026

4- Breel Embolo is the fourth player on record to receive a second yellow card for simulation in the FIFA World Cup and the first since Asamoah Gyan for Ghana vs. Brazil in 2006.

Dive. pic.twitter.com/R5b4lPOUQb

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2026

Embolo, the man in red, was shown a red card for what VAR described as simulation.
We’ve had enough.
FIFA should just end this tournament and hand the trophy to Argentina. At this point, this is absolutely ridiculous! 🤦🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/spba8vBHdy

— Cool_Ustaaz ☪ (@Cool_Ustaz) July 12, 2026

🚨 If VAR can intervene for Simulations and Yellow Card Offences Why didn’t the VAR ask the Ref to give him a Yellow for diving, as they did for Embolo?

Different Rules for Argentina and the others in the same game😤pic.twitter.com/RecucOakB7

— Preeti (@MadridPreeti) July 12, 2026

🚨🇦🇷 The Telegraph has published an in-depth piece examining the conspiracy theories surrounding Argentina’s World Cup campaign.

The newspaper looks at several of the claims that have fuelled debate throughout the tournament, including:

▪️ Lionel Messi avoiding a possible red… pic.twitter.com/5e9G8skc7r

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) July 10, 2026