Yakin criticizes the referee of the Argentina match

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin criticized the refereeing decisions after his team's 3-1 extra-time defeat to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, arguing that one crucial moment changed the course of the match. Switzerland played with ten men from the 72nd minute after Breel Embolo was sent off following a VAR review and the application of the "identification" rule, before defending champions Argentina secured their place in the semi-finals. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Yakin said that the yellow card shown to Embolo was unjustified, asserting that this rule should not be applied in a match of this magnitude. He added that correcting a mistake by Leandro Paredes by penalizing the Swiss player was difficult to comprehend, indicating that the decision directly affected his team's balance. The Swiss coach clarified that he was not accusing the referees of favoring Argentina, but felt that football had been unfair to his country and that the team paid the price for a refereeing error that significantly impacted the outcome of the match. He also noted that he was previously unaware of the rule, explaining that the incident began with a standard yellow card before VAR intervened, turning the moment into a turning point that ended Switzerland's hopes of advancing. Yakin concluded by emphasizing that applying the rule in such circumstances was harsh and unnecessary, expressing his deep sadness at his country's elimination and stressing that Switzerland deserved to reach the semi-finals.