Controversial refereeing decisions have ignited Argentina's matches against Switzerland and England against Norway in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, reviving the debate over refereeing and video technology ahead of the upcoming semi-final clash between the two teams.
The match between Argentina and Switzerland witnessed the most sensitive cases, after Swiss striker Briel Embolo was sent off following a review via "VAR", to complete his country's national team for more than an hour with ten players, following the implementation of the new interpretation of the "mistaken identity" law, which led to the cancellation of a card for Paredes and the granting of a second warning to Empolo.
The expulsion changes the course of the match
The decision sparked widespread anger within the Swiss camp, with coach Murat Yakin saying his team had paid the price for a "new interpretation of the law" at a crucial moment, while midfielder Fabian Ridder called the decision "catastrophic", stressing that the VAR intervention "changed the game in one shot".
Defender Manuel Akanji criticised the referee's performance, saying his team felt that "every little foul counts against Switzerland" and that he had never played a game "so biased", as he put it.
Despite Switzerland realizing the draw, Argentina took advantage of the numerical deficit to settle the match in extra time by a score of 3-1 and qualify for the semi-finals, amid the ongoing debate over the impact of the refereeing decisions on the course of the match.
Ongoing controversy haunts Argentina
The Swiss criticism did not stop at the dismissal, but coach Yakin expressed his surprise at the first yellow card given to Paredes and the series of repercussions that followed, stressing that Embolo was "completely broken" after taking responsibility for a decision that was not in his hands. He noted that his counterpart Lionel Scaloni was "relieved", considering that this reflects Argentina's seriousness in dealing with the match.
Yakin said his side had fought hard despite the numerical deficit and that he had hoped to reach the penalty shootout "because the momentum was going to be with us", before concluding: "I think football didn't come out victorious today."
This was not the first refereeing crisis surrounding Argentina's matches in the tournament, as the match of the final against Egypt sparked a wide wave of controversy, after the cancellation of an Egyptian goal via video technology, in addition to a series of decisions that the Egyptian technical staff considered influential in the conduct of the match.
Coach Hossam Hassan accused the referee of bias, while a number of players made similar statements, while the head of FIFA's referees committee, Pierluigi Collina, rejected the accusations, stressing the independence of the referees and the integrity of decisions.
England match. The ball hits the camera
In the match between England and Norway, a wide controversy erupted after the ball hit equipment suspended above the pitch (wired camera), amid demands that the ball be counted out of play.
However, the referee continued the game, before FIFA clarified that the sensor inside the ball did not indicate that it had hit any object, and that the ball was the reason for England to score their first goal of the match.
These facts come ahead of the upcoming clash between Argentina and England in the semi-finals of the World Cup, while France will face Spain in the second semi-final.
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