GENEVA (AP) 鈥� Soccer鈥檚 law-making panel to referees which confirmed Switzerland forward Breel Embolo should not have been against Argentina.
Embolo鈥檚 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 with help from the red-card decision that fueled complaints, including , referees were favoring Lionel Messi鈥檚 team with decisions.
The FIFA-backed rules panel known as IFAB published a clarification Monday that VAR protocol for 鈥渕istaken identity鈥� cases was not eligible for that type of incident at the World Cup, though it could be in future competitions.
鈥淗owever, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded,鈥� the Zurich-based IFAB said in a statement.
Embolo fell to the ground on being challenged by Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was shown a yellow card.
The VAR officials alerted the referee to the fact Paredes did not commit a foul and instead Embolo was shown a yellow, his second, and was sent off.
That is not how 鈥渕istaken Identity鈥� is currently meant to be applied, which is to correct the referee when a card is shown to the wrong player who did not commit the original foul penalized.
鈥淭he referee made the wrong decision,鈥� Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the game in Kansas City. 鈥淚 know they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed our game today, and it鈥檚 very painful, and to be eliminated in that way hurts a lot.鈥�
IFAB clarified the card 鈥渃an only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offense that was penalized; the offense itself cannot be reviewed/changed.鈥�
A has been ongoing since March and IFAB acknowledged that incidents like Embolo鈥檚 are part of it.
鈥淭he use of the mistaken identity clause to deal with simulation during the FIFA World Cup 2026 was well received,鈥� the Zurich-based group said.
IFAB is composed of FIFA-appointed officials and the four British soccer federations. Its annual meeting is each February or March to update The Laws of the Game that take effect for major tournaments or the next season.
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