Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro broke his silence on the most controversial events of the Argentina-Switzerland quarter-final match at the 2026 World Cup, revealing new details about the expulsion of Swiss player Breel Embolo.
The match witnessed a controversial decision to send off Embolo after he received a second yellow card, following a VAR intervention, in a scene where the refereeing team considered that the Swiss player had feigned injury to get a foul.
Pinheiro explained, in statements reported by the newspaper "Marca", that the field referee initially thought that Embolo had committed a foul deserving of a yellow card, but a review of the footage via video technology showed, according to the assessment adopted at the time, that there was no contact that warranted awarding the foul.
The referee said: "We saw that there was no violation, and that it was simulation. Since it was the second yellow card, it resulted in the player being sent off. If it had been the first card, the decision would have been the same."
But the decision did not go unchallenged, as the International Football Association Board (IFAB) later confirmed that Embolo's dismissal was a wrong decision, noting that the intervention of video technology in this case was not correct.
The sending-off came in the 72nd minute, just minutes after Switzerland had equalized 1-1, before Argentina went on to win the match 3-1 after extra time.
What happened between Messi and the referee?
Embolo's dismissal was not the only incident that attracted attention, as the match witnessed a tense exchange between Pinheiro and Argentina's captain Lionel Messi, who spoke sharply to the referee and demanded that he be treated with respect.
But the Portuguese referee downplayed the incident, stressing that discussions with players, especially team captains, have become a normal part of managing matches under the new rules.
Pinheiro said: "Messi raised some points with me, as did other players. Team captains are communicating with referees more, and the new rules allow for this type of dialogue."
He added that Messi's fame is what made the incident receive more attention, explaining: "Because it was Messi, it got more attention, but this happens with many players. When it comes to Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, people look at the situation differently."
The referee believes that such dialogues can be useful in managing matches, instead of resorting directly to cards, saying: "They are constructive dialogues. We don't have to warn everyone. Perhaps someone misunderstood something I did, we talked, we understood each other, and then we moved on."
In closing, Pinheiro recalled his memories of the 2026 World Cup, which saw the return of Portuguese referees to the tournament finals after a 12-year absence, expressing his gratitude to the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proença, for his support of the referees during the tournament.
He said: "There are no words to describe the magnificence of the World Cup. One only realizes its greatness when one experiences it."
