Embolo relives the night of pain: no one can guarantee the chance will come after four years

Switzerland international Breel Embolo has revisited the controversial red card he received against Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final, laying bare the pain and anger that swept through his team.

The forward walked after picking up a second booking for “simulation” in the second half, a match Argentina won 3-1 in Kansas City after extra time.

Switzerland had drawn level at 1-1 just minutes earlier when the referee initially awarded a foul in Embolo’s favour and booked Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes.

VAR then recommended a review. The replay showed no contact between Paredes and Embolo. After checking the monitor, the referee rescinded Paredes’ booking and instead showed Embolo a second yellow followed by a red for simulation, one of the most talked-about incidents of the tournament.

Unveiled as a new player for American club Atlanta United in a deal from France’s Rennes estimated at around 18 million dollars, Embolo told “The Athletic”: “As players, we felt an overwhelming anger because we knew we were capable of winning had we finished the match with 11 players. Of course that moment affected me and hurt the team, and that is what always matters. In the end the referee made his decision, and those mistakes are part of the sport.”

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Twelve days after the final, the board of the International Football Association issued a clarification acknowledging that the “mistaken identity” protocol should not be used in simulation cases. Asked whether that ruling changed his view of the dismissal, Embolo was blunt: “No, we lost completely, and I am a competitive person who does not accept defeat.”

Atlanta’s new striker added: “When you realise how hard it is to reach those stages and to build a cohesive group, it becomes very difficult to accept the decision. The difficulty does not lie in whether it was a red card or not, but in the fact that the next opportunity may not come for another four years, and no one can guarantee the future.”

His reaction the moment he saw red became one of the enduring images of the World Cup. Overcome with tears, he could not be consoled, the decision having shaped the outcome of the match.

Now the Swiss striker is back in the United States to continue his career through the gateway of Atlanta United, who sit 12th in the Eastern Conference this season despite three straight wins.

Embolo admitted: “Four months ago I did not expect to be here today, but the decision was a decisive one for me. Atlanta’s management knows my abilities as a player and my personality up close. I think the American league is developing noticeably if we look at the level of the American national team we faced last year. Development takes time, and although I know that football does not give you much of it, I am excited about this experience.”