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Qatar salvaged a last-minute draw against Switzerland this Saturday at the , in a Group B match of the 2026 World Cup that ended 1-1, leaving all four teams tied with one point after the first full matchday.
The match, held at 12:00 local time (15:00 Cuba time), started with early controversy. In the 16th minute, M. Abunada received a yellow card, and just a minute later Breel Embolo converted from the penalty spot to give Switzerland the lead.
The 29-year-old forward, a key player for the Swiss team wearing the number seven jersey, scored his first goal in this World Cup, confirming his scoring prowess in major tournaments: he had already netted the decisive goal against Belgium in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Qatar, led by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, withstood the Swiss onslaught for much of the match, having only 31% possession compared to the Europeans' 69%. The numbers were overwhelmingly in favor of Switzerland: 25 shots to just six for Qatar, seven on target against three, and nine corners to three. Despite the crushing statistical dominance, the Swiss team was unable to extend their lead on the scoreboard.
Lopetegui's tactical gamble came in the 60th minute with three simultaneous substitutions—Al Oui, Gaber, and Abdurisag—which injected energy into the Qatari team in the second half. Switzerland responded with two substitutions of their own in the 65th minute, bringing on D. Ndoye and M. Aebischer, aiming to secure a match that was slipping away from them.
The prize for Qatar came in stoppage time. Mohanad Ali Khoukhi scored the equalizer in the 90+4 minute, igniting celebrations for Qatar and frustrating a Switzerland team that had dominated from start to finish without managing to close out the match. It was a thrilling finish that well summarizes the tactical resilience of Lopetegui's team against a significantly superior opponent in gameplay.
In the disciplinary section, Qatar received two yellow cards — Abunada in the 16th minute and J. Gaber in the 23rd — while Switzerland received just one, to D. Zakaria in the 42nd. The fouls were almost evenly distributed: 12 for Qatar and 11 for Switzerland.
With this result, the is completely tied: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland each have one point after the first round. The day before, Canada and Bosnia drew 1-1 in the group’s debut, with goals from Jovo Lukić in the 21st minute for Bosnia and Cyle Larin in the 78th for Canada.
In the format of this World Cup with 48 teams, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the next round, keeping the hopes alive for all teams in the group. The second matchday will take place on June 25: Switzerland will face Canada, and Bosnia will compete against Qatar in two matches that could determine the fate of the group.
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