Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals not only sent the reigning champions into the semifinals to face England, but also sparked controversies related to the decisions of the referee and VAR.
The centerpiece was the situation where Breel Embolo received a second yellow card for simulation after VAR intervened, leaving Switzerland with only 10 men on the pitch for most of the remainder of the match. This decision met with a fierce reaction from the Swiss players. Center-back Manuel Akanji argued that his team had suffered too many unfavorable decisions, while manager Murat Yakin and captain Granit Xhaka also requested FIFA to clarify the application of VAR in the situation leading to the red card.
Those developments left many England fans anxious ahead of the confrontation with Argentina in the semi-finals. On football forums and social networks, not a few opinions expressed concern that referee decisions could continue to become the center of attention in the upcoming match.
The anxiety of the Three Lions fans increased even further as manager Thomas Tuchel had previously publicly criticized the officiating quality of the referees at the 2026 World Cup. The German strategist argued that many decisions on the pitch lacked consistency and made it difficult for teams to adapt.
The controversy became even more notable when BBC football rules expert Dale Johnson assessed that the VAR situation leading to Embolo’s red card still had many points that needed to be clarified. According to him, switching from a foul decision to determining player simulation is a change based on subjective assessment, causing the way VAR intervened in this situation to continue to cause debate.
As the clash between England and Argentina draws near, all eyes will not only be focused on the confrontation between the two championship contenders but will also pay special attention to the decisions of the refereeing crew, a factor expected to affect the final outcome of the 2026 World Cup semifinal.
