​Frustration with FIFA officiating flared again on Saturday after a contentious VAR reversal produced a red card for Switzerland just minutes after they had equalized with Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinal. By reigniting the ongoing debate that the tournament tilts in favor of Lionel Messi’s side, the incident came despite Argentina eventually needing extra time to see off a 10-man Swiss team. The drama unfolded in the 72nd minute in Kansas City when referee Joao Pinheiro initially booked Leandro Paredes for a foul on Breel Embolo, only to overturn the decision after a VAR review concluded Embolo had exaggerated contact. Because Embolo had already been booked earlier in the match, the second yellow card automatically resulted in a red, forcing Switzerland to play the remainder of the game with ten men, just four minutes after Dan Ndoye had equalized at 1-1 from a corner headed by Messi.
The call provoked a flood of outrage on social media, with fans accusing FIFA of steering the tournament in Argentina’s favor. A supporter tweeted, “Of course as soon as Switzerland ties it up with Argentina, the Swiss get a red card… but, no, not rigged at all.” Another wrote, “So many calls in the past were 50/50, yet one team never seems to get a bad decision; there’s always controversy,” and a third asked, “What is so special about Argentina?” Despite having the extra man, Argentina struggled to break down Switzerland’s disciplined defense in normal time, and the Swiss defense remained stubborn into extra time, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel making several crucial saves, including denying Lisandro Martinez late in added time.
Argentina finally broke through in the 112th minute when Julián Álvarez fired a superb shot from 25 yards into the top corner with his right foot, a strike later celebrated as among the tournament’s finest. Lautaro Martínez then added a third in the opening minute of stoppage time, tapping in a rebound after Thiago Almada’s effort was parried, sealing a 3-1 victory and sending Argentina into Wednesday’s semifinal against England. The Saturday controversy echoes earlier grievances from Argentina’s Round of 16 win over Egypt, raised on July 7, when two disputed refereeing decisions by François Letexier—the ruling out of an Egyptian goal and a missed examination of a potential foul on Mohamed Salah before Enzo Fernández’s stoppage-time winner—prompted Egypt to lodge an official protest with FIFA. Egypt’s manager Hossam Hassan described the match at the time as “a fix,” highlighting the ongoing skepticism among fans and officials alike.