Asian Cup holders Qatar stage in damage time to attract 1-1 with Switzerland in World Cup 2026 opening recreation.
Revealed On 13 Jun 2026
Boualem Khoukhi scored an equalising purpose on a header within the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Qatar spoiled a dominant day by Switzerland in a 1-1 draw in Group B of the World Cup.
A number of of the Qatari gamers fell to the bottom on Saturday in celebration of the late purpose, as others ran to one another to embrace.
Advisable Tales
record of 4 objectsfinish of record
Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from the penalty spot within the first half simply over per week after being cleared to enter the US following a visa delay, however the Swiss did not capitalise on a number of different scoring possibilities.
Within the thirteenth minute, Embolo was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who obtained a yellow card on the play. Abunada lay face down and appeared immobile for a few minutes earlier than he started to maneuver his legs and was in a position to get up once more.
When Embolo calmly despatched his penalty into the higher left nook within the seventeenth minute, it despatched the red-clad Swiss followers right into a dancing frenzy within the stands of San Francisco Bay Space Stadium.
The 29-year-old ahead utilized for an pressing visa at america embassy in Bern on June 3, sooner or later after he was denied boarding the group’s flight to journey for his third World Cup due to a 2018 legal conviction that was solely finalised in April.
Switzerland dominated the possession recreation on an unseasonably heat June afternoon — with sprinklers working throughout a first-half break.
There have been hundreds of empty seats scattered all through Levi’s Stadium, house of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Brazil and Colombia drew 70,971 two years in the past in a gaggle match on the Copa America. The stadium in Santa Clara staged the Tremendous Bowl solely 4 months in the past.
Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a save within the second minute after Edmilson Junior obtained by the defence for a one-on-one. Kobel corralled the ball once more within the ninetieth on a close-range try by Ahmed Alaaeldin.
Switzerland is hoping to advance additional than its round-of-16 exhibiting 4 years in the past earlier than shedding 6-1 to Portugal — when Goncalo Ramos delivered an unbelievable hat-trick enjoying rather than benched star Cristiano Ronaldo. The loss prompted Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to apologize the the followers.
The Swiss used consistency and expertise to go unbeaten by qualifying towards Sweden, Kosovo and Slovenia. Coach Murat Yakin’s group produced 4 wins and two attracts to safe its sixth straight World Cup look and hasn’t missed one since 2002, however the group has by no means gotten past the quarterfinals.
Qatar, led by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, needed to qualify by a playoff in November — beating the United Arab Emirates and Oman — after lacking a possibility from its group stage of Asian qualifying.
The Gulf state nation turned the primary host nation to lose all of its group matches 4 years in the past. It misplaced to Senegal, Ecuador and the Netherlands within the 2022 event, scoring its lone purpose in a 3-1 loss to Senegal.
