NEW YORK: A new refereeing protocol has added to the powder keg of public perception over fairness at the World Cup, a former FIFA referee said on Tuesday, with another refereeing controversy involving Argentina adding fuel to fan complaints. The holders’ passage to Wednesday’s semifinal against England has been accompanied by repeated complaints from opponents over refereeing decisions, amid social media speculation the tournament has favored Lionel Messi’s side. The saga came to a head on Saturday in Argentina’s quarter-final defeat of Switzerland, as Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow card for simulation, a VAR rule that Swiss coach Murat Yakin called “unacceptable.” Asked for comment on Monday, FIFA referred Reuters to a July 8 interview with refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina, who rejected claims of bias in Argentina’s lsat-16 win over Egypt. The protocol over mistaken identity is one of several incidents in which VAR is allowed to intervene under rules applied to the 2026-27 season and the World Cup, putting a largely untested protocol up for public debate. “I don’t think it should have been applied in the first place. It was too broad,” said Christina Unkel, British broadcaster ITV’s rules analyst for the World Cup and a former FIFA referee. “And where I’m struggling with it is we’re not just changing who gets the card, we’re changing the underlying decision from a free kick going this way to saying no, no, no, it’s actually a decision completely opposite way.
