Qatar secure first World Cup point with late equaliser against Switzerland

By Oliver Harrington — 13 June 2026 — 3 min read

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Dramatic equaliser secures point

Qatar secured their first point in World Cup finals history after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Switzerland. The equaliser came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Boualem Khoukhi scoring a header to cancel out a first-half penalty from Breel Embolo. The late goal left the Swiss side expressing disappointment, particularly after their dominant performance in terms of goal attempts.

The match, held at Levi’s Stadium, saw Khoukhi rise to convert a cross from Homam Ahmed in the 94th minute. This crucial goal came after Switzerland had taken the lead earlier in the game. Several Qatari players celebrated on the pitch following the late goal, while others embraced.

Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi scores their first goal past Switzerland's Gregor Kobel — Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi scores their first goal past Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel [Eloisa Lopez Credit: aljazeera.com

Switzerland’s Embolo had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute. The penalty was awarded after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada fouled Remo Freuler in the six-yard box. Abunada received a yellow card for the challenge, and medical staff attended to him before he was able to continue playing. The decision for the penalty was confirmed after a VAR check.

Switzerland’s missed opportunities

Despite taking the lead, Switzerland failed to capitalise on numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match. They recorded 26 goal attempts compared to Qatar‘s seven. Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a save early in the second minute from Edmilson Junior and again in the 90th minute from a close-range attempt by Ahmed Alaaeldin.

The Swiss team dominated possession during the game, which was played on an unseasonably warm June afternoon. Sprinklers were even used during a first-half break. The stadium, home to the NFL‘s San Francisco 49ers, had thousands of empty seats despite an official attendance of 67,966. Red-clad Swiss fans were present in large numbers.

Breel Embolo‘s participation in the match followed a visa delay. He had applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on June 3, after being denied boarding for the team’s flight due to a 2018 criminal conviction that was finalised in April. He was cleared to enter the US just over a week before the match.

Switzerland‘s coach Murat Yakin led his team to qualify for their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, having gone unbeaten through qualifying against Sweden, Kosovo, and Slovenia with four wins and two draws. The team has not missed a World Cup since 2002 but has not progressed beyond the quarter-finals.

Context and upcoming fixtures

For Qatar, this draw marks a significant improvement from their previous World Cup performance. Four years ago, as the host nation, they lost all their group matches in the 2022 tournament, scoring only one goal in a 3-1 loss to Senegal. This time, they secured their first point in the finals.

Qatar, coached by Julen Lopetegui, had to qualify for this World Cup through a playoff in November, where they defeated the United Arab Emirates and Oman. This followed their missed opportunity in the Asian qualifying group stage.

The result of this match leaves Group B open, with all teams currently on one point each, following co-hosts Canada‘s 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina. Switzerland will next face Bosnia & Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday. On the same day, Qatar will travel north to Vancouver to play against co-hosts Canada.