Football Stories

What do you think about increasing the number of teams in the next tournament?

Ahmed Shobair, former Egyptian national team goalkeeper and father of the current Egypt national team goalkeeper:

“Poor Switzerland, they dared to draw level with Argentina and were still tied, taking control of the match and on their way to winning. Then the referee and VAR cancel a yellow card for an Argentina player, and somehow, miraculously, it is changed into a second yellow card for Switzerland’s Mbabu, meaning they will continue the match with 10 players. Have you ever seen such refereeing corruption before?! You made us hate Messi and football.”

Akanji, Switzerland national team player:

"I have never played a match like this in my life. Every refereeing decision was given in favor of the opponent."

🤔🇨🇭 Why was Embolo sent off against Argentina?

The decision surprised many fans, but the reason was related to the application of a new refereeing procedure at the 2026 World Cup.

At first, the referee awarded a foul in Embolo’s favor and showed a yellow card to Argentina midfielder Paredes.

A few seconds later, the VAR room intervened and asked the referee to review the incident again.

After reviewing the replay, it was determined that the referee had booked the wrong player and that Embolo had attempted to deceive the referee by going down without a real foul being committed.

The referee then cancelled Paredes’ yellow card and awarded it to Embolo instead.

Since Embolo had already received a yellow card earlier in the match, the second yellow resulted in a red card and he was sent off.

A decision that may have looked strange to the fans, but it was made according to the rules after correcting the identity of the player who deserved the punishment.

A 100% legal sending-off. ⚖️🔥

Roy Keane on Breel Embolo's second yellow card, which led to his dismissal against Argentina:

"I don't like it. I think it's a very harsh way to change the course of a World Cup quarter-final. If the referee believes it was a dive, that's his opinion, but we've watched this tournament and seen players go down with the slightest contact countless times. Most referees simply let play continue and get on with the game.

This time, it was different. The incident received far more attention than similar ones, and suddenly Switzerland were down to ten men. That's the part I struggle with. If you're going to send a player off for a second yellow card, you have to be absolutely certain because you're changing the entire course of the match.

Switzerland had fought their way back into the game. They had momentum, they were asking questions of Argentina, and then one decision turned everything in Argentina's favour. That's why they'll feel incredibly frustrated.

For me, the issue isn't just whether Embolo went down too easily. It's about consistency. If that's the standard today, then it has to be the standard in every match. You can't punish one player for something you've ignored five or six times already during the tournament.

Players don't expect referees to be perfect, but they do expect consistency. When players, coaches, and fans are talking more about the refereeing than the football itself, then something has gone wrong. Switzerland will feel that this decision took the game away from them at a crucial moment."

Regardless of what Messi said to the referee at that moment, if I were the referee, Messi would deserve a yellow card for this gesture. And then, of course, I would retire from refereeing.

Let's imagine that FIFA does not interfere and that the refereeing will be completely neutral in the remaining matches. Who do you think will win the tournament?

Perhaps, for the first time, logic has prevailed, with the four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

The first semi-final will pit France against Spain in what promises to be a wide-open contest, although France may hold a slight edge.

The second semi-final will see England face Argentina in a match steeped in history, evoking memories of Maradona's heroics at the 1986 World Cup and David Beckham's red card in the 1998 tournament.

After today's match against Switzerland, I believe that Argentina, despite their victory, are the weaker side. Had Switzerland not been reduced to ten men, Argentina would likely not have advanced. Switzerland were clearly the better team for most of the match, but their player's reckless red card completely changed the balance of the game. Argentina capitalized on the numerical advantage and scored twice in the closing minutes.

If Argentina perform at that level again, their chances of getting past England are very slim.

Based on the performances and form shown so far, all signs point to an England–France final.

A foolish challenge by a Swiss player resulted in a red card that completely changed the course of the match, allowing Argentina to win and advance to the semifinals, where they will face England.