{"id":101956,"date":"2026-07-12T03:52:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T03:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/101956\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T03:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T03:52:18","slug":"why-was-breel-embolo-send-off-for-switzerland-after-stunning-var-decision-in-world-cup-quarter-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/101956\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was Breel Embolo send off for Switzerland after stunning VAR decision in World Cup quarter-final?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p>Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n<p>Breel Embolo was left distraught and in tears after the Switzerland forward was dragged off following his red card in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>The Swiss forward initially earned a foul with Leandro Paredes handed a yellow card in a collision that saw him tumble with his legs sprawling, though replays suggested that he appeared to at least make the most of the contact.<\/p>\n<p>And under new Fifa World Cup rules, a VAR check considered mistaken identity, landing the Swiss forward in trouble, with simulation then considered as a subsequent decision.<\/p>\n<p>Upon review, referee Joao Pinheiro opted to change his mind, removing the yellow for the Argentina midfielder and instead giving it to Embolo, which was his second, leading to a red card with the score tied at 1-1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter review, there is no foul for No 5 [Paredes], No 7 [Embolo], there is a clear simulation, final decision, yellow card for No 7 [Embolo],\u201d Pinheiro said to the Kansas City crowd.<\/p>\n<p>Embolo was then inconsolable after the decision, realising his costly error, with Denis Zakaria heard screaming at the official and pleading with him to not hand out the yellow card, before moving to haul his teammate off the field before any protests escalated.<\/p>\n<p>One crucial element of the new rule is that had Paredes not been booked, then Embolo would have remained on the pitch.<\/p>\n<p>During the subsequent hydration break just minutes later in the 75th minute, Granit Xhaka could be seen approaching Pinheiro and remonstrating furiously over the decision, with his side\u2019s chances of advancing to a first-ever World Cup semi-final in the balance.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/download.-1..jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Referee Joao Pinheiro, of Portugal, gives a red card for Switzerland's Breel Embolo (7)\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/>Referee Joao Pinheiro, of Portugal, gives a red card for Switzerland&#8217;s Breel Embolo (7) (AP)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-12T024538Z_1487567372_UP1EM7C07O0S2_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-SWI.JPG\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Switzerland's Denis Zakaria consoles Breel Embolo with after he is shown a second yellow card and red card\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/>Switzerland&#8217;s Denis Zakaria consoles Breel Embolo with after he is shown a second yellow card and red card (Reuters)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-12T024719Z_261410199_UP1EM7C07OES3_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-SWI.JPG\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Switzerland's Breel Embolo is shown a red card by referee Joao Pinheiro after a VAR review\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/>Switzerland&#8217;s Breel Embolo is shown a red card by referee Joao Pinheiro after a VAR review (Reuters)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s one of these situations, by the letter of the law, it has to be a yellow card,\u201d Jobi McAnuff said on ITV Sport \u201cHe\u2019s waiting for the card, he\u2019s initiated the contact, clearly, they\u2019ll see that as simulation, to send him off in a game of this magnitude, it feels harsh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Bradley Wright-Phillips had less sympathy for the player, instead sympathising with how costly it could be for his teammates: \u201cThat\u2019s embellishment. I feel for his teammates, he\u2019s maybe cost his teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101957,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[46008,46009,10732,46010,46011,46012,2019,41,17,46013,46014,13704,46015,46016],"class_list":["post-101956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-switzerland","tag-canada2026","tag-canada26","tag-fifa","tag-futbol","tag-mexico2026","tag-mexico26","tag-soccer","tag-swiss","tag-switzerland","tag-usa2026","tag-usa26","tag-worldcup","tag-worldcup2026","tag-worldcup26"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116904980940160494","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}