Football · Santa Clara
Gary Neville slams 'absurd' FIFA secrecy after VAR controversy mars Qatar's historic World Cup draw with Switzerland
Qatar earned their first-ever World Cup point with a stoppage-time equaliser against Switzerland, but the match was overshadowed by a VAR controversy that drew blistering criticism from Gary Neville.
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In brief
Boualem Khoukhi's 94th-minute header earned a 1-1 draw and Qatar's maiden point at the finals.
Switzerland's opening goal came from a penalty after a foul on Remo Freuler, but replays indicated a possible offside not shown by the VAR system.
The pundit called FIFA's refusal to broadcast the offside data 'absurd' and likened it to a dictatorship.
The governing body said a short failure prevented the graphic from being shown, but confirmed the review found no offside.
Switzerland dominated with 26 shots but were punished for not converting, leaving players like Granit Xhaka and Gregor Kobel bitterly disappointed.
All four teams now have one point apiece, setting up a tight battle for the knockout spots.
- 13 Jun13': Penalty awarded to Switzerland after VAR review of foul on Remo Freuler
- 13 Jun17': Breel Embolo converts penalty to give Switzerland a 1-0 lead
- 13 Jun90+4': Boualem Khoukhi heads equaliser, Qatar's first World Cup point
Dramatic finish
Switzerland took the lead in the 17th minute when Breel Embolo converted a penalty awarded after a foul by goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada on Remo Freuler. The decision was reviewed by VAR and upheld, though television replays later suggested Freuler might have been offside. Qatar's captain Boualem Khoukhi then headed home a cross from Homam Ahmed in the fourth minute of stoppage time, sparking euphoric celebrations and securing a 1:1 draw.
VAR controversy erupts
Former England international and ITV pundit Gary Neville delivered a scathing critique of FIFA during the broadcast. He demanded the governing body release the offside data from its automatic system.
“Why aren't they showing it to us? They did it during the last tournament. For me it's offside until proven otherwise. It's reminiscent of a dictatorship—keeping such data to themselves and not showing it to the fans is absolutely absurd.”
FIFA's response and Neville's fury
FIFA issued a statement after the match explaining that a brief technical glitch caused the confusion but that the VAR analysis was conducted according to protocol and the lines did not indicate an offside position. Neville's accusation of secrecy nonetheless resonated, as trust in both the governing body and technology remains fragile.
Swiss frustration and group outlook
The draw leaves all four Group B teams with one point after the opening round, following Canada's 1:1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier. Swiss players were visibly disappointed.
“Every draw is like a defeat for us. This performance wasn't good enough to win.”
- Switzerland
- 26 shots
- Qatar
- 7 shots
Data from the article text
Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui praised his team's mentality.
“We fulfilled one dream by coming here. Now we have another and we will fight for it.”
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Sources and context
- sportowefakty.wp.plGłośno o ruchu sędziego na mundialu. "Absolutnie niedorzeczne"
- sportowefakty.wp.plHit na remis i wielka niespodzianka. Działo się na mundialu w sobotnią noc
- sport.interia.plZawód, mecz Brazylii i brytyjska lekcja. To działo się nocą na mundialu
- TVN24.pl"Spełniliśmy marzenie, a teraz mamy kolejne"
- Gary Neville
- Former England international and ITV pundit who criticised FIFA's VAR transparency
- Breel Embolo
- Swiss forward who scored the opening penalty
- Boualem Khoukhi
- Qatar captain who scored the late equaliser
- Granit Xhaka
- Switzerland captain who called the draw a defeat
- Gregor Kobel
- Swiss goalkeeper who described the late goal as incredibly bitter
- Manuel Akanji
- Swiss defender who said the team must score from clear chances
- Julen Lopetegui
- Qatar head coach who praised his team's mentality
- Mahmoud Abunada
- Qatar goalkeeper who conceded the penalty
- Denis Zakaria
- Swiss midfielder who said the team 'paid dearly' for missed chances
- Remo Freuler
- Swiss midfielder fouled for the penalty that led to Embolo's goal
- Murat Yakin
- Switzerland head coach
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