Akanji Slams Refereeing After Switzerland's Elimination

Manuel Akanji, Switzerland's defender, expressed his outrage over the refereeing decisions during their 3-1 defeat to Argentina after extra time in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, claiming the referee favored the Argentine side.

After the match, Akanji stated he had never experienced such bias in a game, emphasizing that the referee called minor fouls against Switzerland while not applying the same standards to Argentina. He added that being eliminated in this manner was painful, especially as the Swiss players felt they could have won.

The biggest controversy centered around the red card shown to Breel Embolo, who received a second yellow after a VAR review overturned the initial yellow card given to Argentine player Leandro Paredes, with the referee deciding that the Swiss striker had simulated a foul.

Switzerland completed the match with ten players before Argentina sealed the victory in extra time, ending Switzerland's World Cup journey amid widespread anger and criticism of the officiating in one of the tournament's most controversial matches.