At that moment in the match, Embolo fouled an opponent while trying to stop a quick Argentina attack. The referee deemed it Unsporting Behaviour and showed a second yellow card. Since he had already received a yellow card earlier, according to FIFA rules, two yellow cards automatically result in a red card.

According to football's Laws of the Game, if a player receives two yellow cards in the same match, they are shown a red card and sent off. The team then has to play the remainder of the match with 10 players.

After Embolo's dismissal, Switzerland was forced to play with one man down. Argentina capitalized on the numerical advantage and dominated the latter part of the match. Eventually, the Albiceleste secured a 3-1 victory and booked their place in the semi-finals.

Although the red card decision sparked debate on social media, under football law, showing a red card after a second yellow is mandatory for the referee. Therefore, while the incident was widely discussed, the decision was in line with the established rules.