What was the mistaken identity red card shown in Argentina vs Switzerland?

Switzerland's Breel Embolo made history during the World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Kansas City when he became the first player ever to be sent off following a mistaken identity review. The incident occurred in the 72nd minute when the match was level at 1-1.

The sequence began when Argentina's Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Embolo. However, the Video Assistant Referee team reviewed the incident and identified that Embolo had actually dived during the tackle. The on-field referee, Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro, was called to review the footage. After consulting with the VAR team, he rescinded Paredes's yellow card and instead issued a second yellow to Embolo for diving, resulting in the Swiss forward's dismissal.

Embolo, who was already carrying a prior booking, was visibly distressed as he left the field. The Swiss bench and players protested the decision, though most neutral observers and experts agreed the referee's call was correct. The International Football Association Board defines mistaken identity as occurring when a referee penalizes the wrong player for an offense, and new VAR protocols now allow such errors to be identified and corrected.

The red card proved decisive in the match's outcome. Although Switzerland maintained the 1-1 scoreline through the end of regular time, they conceded two goals during extra time while playing with ten men and were eliminated from the tournament.