Switzerland Coach Blames VAR for World Cup Exit

Switzerland's World Cup 2026 journey ended in a 1-3 quarter-final loss to Argentina, but coach Murat Yakin pointed to a controversial VAR decision as the turning point.

Yakin expressed strong disapproval of the yellow card shown to Breel Embolo for simulation in the 72nd minute, which resulted in his red card. "There was no reason at all for him to be shown a yellow card. It was just a normal situation and the referee should have let the game continue," Yakin stated. He felt the decision was harsh and detrimental to the game's spirit, significantly impacting Switzerland's performance when they were gaining momentum.

Before Embolo's dismissal, Switzerland had equalized through Dan Ndoye after Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for Argentina. However, playing with 10 men proved too difficult, and Julian Alvarez scored in extra time, followed by Lautaro Martinez's late goal to seal the victory.

Yakin praised his team's resilience, noting they were starting to control the match against the defending world champions. "I want to praise the whole team because we came back against the world champions and at that moment we were controlling the rhythm of the game," he said. He believes his players were true heroes for their fight, but the referee's decision ultimately altered the outcome.

The loss marked Switzerland's best World Cup performance since 1954, ending their run in the quarter-finals.