Swiss players and management have voiced strong accusations of biased officiating following their 3-1 extra-time loss to Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals. The team expressed incensed reactions to the referee's decisions, particularly a second yellow card issued to striker Breel Embolo, which resulted in his sending off.

The controversial incident occurred in the 72nd minute when, after a VAR review, Embolo was penalized for diving rather than being fouled by Argentina's Leandro Paredes. A new World Cup rule allows for decisions to be changed if a foul was committed by an opposing player. This decision was met with significant backlash from the Swiss side.

Defender Manuel Akanji stated, "Every little thing was called against us" and "I've never experienced such a one-sided game." Manager Murat Yakin described the refereeing as "incomprehensible."

These sentiments echo previous claims made by Egypt, who lost to Argentina in the prior round. Egypt's winger Mostafa Ziko had declared the tournament "fixed," and coach Hossam Hassan asserted the match was "rigged, and the whole world saw it."

FIFA's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has defended the integrity of the officiating, stating that "nobody can question the integrity" and "unfounded allegations have no place in our sport." FIFA president Gianni Infantino also commented, "Tonight, I suffered with Argentina…but I’m neutral," remarks that were interpreted by some as fueling theories of favoritism towards Lionel Messi's team.

The referee for the match was Portugal's Joao Pinheiro, with Guillermo Pacheco of Mexico serving as the VAR official.

Akanji, who previously played for Manchester City, elaborated on the perceived imbalance: "When you have the referee against you, it becomes difficult. Every little thing was called against us. Every dive and every foul by the Argentinians went unpunished." He added, "I don't usually say anything against the officials, but I've never experienced such a one-sided game as today."

Switzerland teammate Remo Freuler expressed his disbelief regarding the VAR's intervention in the red card incident, stating, "I still don't understand how VAR can intervene in such a situation. FIFA needs to explain that to me."

Captain Granit Xhaka lamented the impact of such decisions, saying, "The rules are the rules, we can't change them. But with a decision like this, they're killing football, that's my opinion. I appeal to you: Don't kill the game!"

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Switzerland managed to hold Argentina until the 112th minute, when Julian Alvarez scored, followed by a third goal from Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time.

Embolo's red card came after a period where he had led the line for Switzerland, scoring two goals and creating two more during the tournament. He had previously faced travel issues due to his ESTA not being approved, but had rejoined the squad before the quarter-final match.