Switzerland’s remarkable run at the 2026 World Cup came to a heartbreaking end on 12 July as Argentina scored twice in extra time to win 3-1 in the quarter-final at Kansas City Stadium, with head coach Murat Yakin left fuming over a controversial refereeing decision.
The turning point arrived in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card for simulation, five minutes after Dan Ndoye had cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister’s early opener. The referee had first cautioned Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for the challenge, only for a lengthy VAR review to reverse the call and rule that Embolo had gone down without contact.
Yakin was scathing in his assessment afterwards, insisting his side had been unfairly denied at a crucial stage of the contest. “It’s a rule that has nothing to do with football,” he said, arguing that the intervention had derailed a match Switzerland were beginning to dominate.
The Swiss held firm at ten men until the 112th minute, when Julian Alvarez curled a stunning effort into the top corner to break the deadlock, before Lautaro Martinez added a third with nine minutes remaining to seal Argentina’s place in the semi-finals.
Midfielder Remo Freuler echoed his manager’s frustration, calling on football’s governing body to justify the decision. Embolo himself was left in tears on the touchline, consoled by teammates as he trudged off following his dismissal.
Despite the bitter manner of the exit, Yakin was full of praise for his players, pointing to the character they had shown throughout the tournament in reaching their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954, one win short of a maiden semi-final berth.
