VAR Technology Malfunction Sparks Controversy as Qatar Earns Historic First World Cup Point in 1-1 Draw with Switzerland

Jun 13, 2026

Qatar earned its historic first World Cup point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, but the match was marred by controversy. A technical malfunction with FIFA's VAR system prevented an offside animation from being shown for a disputed 14th-minute Swiss penalty. The lack of transparency drew sharp criticism, with pundit Gary Neville labeling FIFA a "dictatorship." The result leaves all four teams in Group B level on one point.

Qatar's first World Cup point

▪The result was a landmark for Qatar, which had lost all three of its matches while hosting the 2022 World Cup.
▪Qatar earned its first-ever World Cup point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
▪Boualem Khoukhi scored a stoppage-time equalizer for Qatar, making the final score 1-1 against Switzerland.

VAR technology malfunction

▪FIFA confirmed a "brief technical outage" prevented its semi-automated system from generating an onside animation graphic for a key penalty decision.
▪More than four hours after the match, FIFA released two still images with drawn lines instead of the usual avatar animations to justify the call.
▪FIFA stated the technical issue was "quickly resolved" and did not affect the normal procedure of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Offside controversy on penalty

▪The penalty decision was controversial as broadcast replays suggested Remo Freuler may have been offside before being fouled.
▪Breel Embolo converted the penalty in the 17th minute to give Switzerland a temporary 1-0 lead.
▪Switzerland was awarded a penalty in the 14th minute after Qatar's goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada fouled midfielder Remo Freuler.
▪Pundit Gary Neville heavily criticized FIFA's lack of transparency, comparing the organization to a "dictatorship."

Levi's Stadium attendance figures

▪The official attendance for the match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara was announced as 67,966.
▪Despite the official figure being near the 70,000-seat capacity, visible banks of empty seats were reported in the stadium.

Group B standings impact

▪The result changes the complexion of the group, with co-hosts Canada set to face Qatar next in Vancouver.
▪The 1-1 draw left all four teams in Group B—Qatar, Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina—level on one point.