“Mistaken identity”: international criticism and concern about the continuing arbitration controversy surrounding the Argentine national team

International media outlets and sports networks criticized the performance of Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro in the match between Argentina and Switzerland, today, Sunday, in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, in reports that focused in particular on the controversial refereeing decision in the 72nd minute, and the application of the “mistaken identity” law, which caused the expulsion of Swiss striker Brielle Embolo, in a match that extended into extra time, during which the defending champion, the Argentine national team, struggled to settle the result in the final minutes of the second extra period, with a victory (3-1).

The Spanish “Archivo Far” network gave a “catastrophic” rating to the referee, due to his poor assessment of the situation and his committing serious errors of judgment during the match. Its report was also consistent with what was published by Yahoo Sports, which monitored the state of shock and astonishment that swept the football community following the decision, considering that the referee dealt with a “heavy and very harsh hand,” which had a negative impact on the Swiss national team.

The international media’s criticism was not limited to the events of the match with Switzerland only, but both the British newspaper “The Guardian” and the American network “ESPN” linked the arbitration cases in the quarter-final match to a previous match between Argentina and the Egyptian national team, in reports that indicated the continuation of controversy and doubts regarding some of the arbitration decisions that they considered to be in the interest of the Argentine national team and its star Lionel Messi.