In the 70th minute, Ugarte fouled Cole Palmer on the left wing. German referee Sven Jablonski blew his whistle and issued a yellow card. Television broadcasts later announced Ugarte as the recipient.

Manuel Ugarte reportedly received two yellow cards in the match against England at Wembley on the evening of 27/3, but was not sent off. Photo: Fabrizio Romano

About 10 minutes later, when England scored from a corner kick, Uruguayan players reacted strongly, believing a foul occurred in the penalty area. The referee stood in front of Ugarte and issued him a yellow card. Many believed the Man Utd midfielder had accumulated two yellow cards, warranting dismissal from the game.

However, an unusual situation arose as Ugarte was not shown a red card and continued to play. He only left the field minutes later, substituted by coach Marcelo Bielsa.

After the match, various reports emerged, but no clear official explanation was provided. Initially, England players were informed that Ugarte had received two yellow cards, but officials rescinded the second card. This explanation, however, raised doubts, as current rules state that video assistant referee (VAR) cannot intervene to rescind a yellow card for dissent.

Subsequently, an alternative explanation surfaced: The first yellow card, widely believed to be for Ugarte, was actually issued to Jose Maria Gimenez for dissent. If this is accurate, Ugarte received only one yellow card in the second incident, meaning his continued participation was within the rules.

Ugarte's two "yellow card" incidents.

The issue stemmed from unclear communication of decisions on the field. The referee's card-issuing actions led players from both teams, coaching staff, and spectators to believe Ugarte had been cautioned twice. Central defender Harry Maguire stated that the England team received conflicting information during the match, including reports that the second card was rescinded, the first was not for Ugarte, or that he received no cards at all.

This inconsistency drew dissatisfaction from football experts. Former player Ian Wright criticized the officiating team for improvising. "They are making things up as the game goes along, as if we didn't see what happened. The foul on Palmer was Ugarte's, and then it looked like he was also booked for dissent," the former England striker said.

Meanwhile, coach Thomas Tuchel also criticized the referee's performance, expressing dissatisfaction with several other decisions during the match. Notably, Ronald Araujo's dangerous tackle on Phil Foden went unpunished.

The controversies continued when Uruguay equalized 1-1 in second-half stoppage time with a Federico Valverde penalty. England also protested the penalty incident, which involved a clash between Ben White and an opponent.

"There was contact, but it was clear the forward was looking for a penalty. I am surprised VAR intervened in this situation," Tuchel added. "The tackle on Foden was not checked. Noni Madueke's situation was not either. Then suddenly, this incident was reviewed."

Hoang An (according to Sky Sports, Independent)