Briel Embolo converts the resulting penalty kick. And the missing visual of VAR technology.
FIFA has issued an explanation after the controversial VAR incident that overshadowed Switzerland’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Qatar at the 2026 World Cup, insisting that a temporary technical glitch only affected on-screen graphics and not the review process itself.FIFA came under scrutiny after Switzerland were awarded an early penalty kick, although television replays indicated that Remo Freuler may have been offside at the start of the attack. The absence of the usual semi-automated stealth animation left fans and critics baffled and sparked accusations of a lack of transparency.
FIFA explains missing VAR images
The incident occurred in the 14th minute at Levi Stadium, when Qatar national team goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada collided with Freuler inside the penalty area.
Brielle Embolo successfully converted the penalty kick to give the Swiss team the lead.Questions quickly arose as broadcasters failed to display the semi-automated offside graphic that usually accompanies such reviews.FIFA confirmed in a statement that the technology responsible for creating the animation had briefly malfunctioned during the examination.“During the Qatar-Switzerland match in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical outage prevented the creation of on-side animation prior to the penalty kick awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute.
FIFA said: “The problem was quickly resolved.”He added: “The VAR’s workflow was not affected by this issue and he followed the normal procedure in verifying the decision on the field. The lines used by the VAR to verify the position of the players involved did not show that the attacking player was in an offside position in either case immediately before the penalty kick decision.”
Neville launches a scathing attack
The lack of visual evidence angered former England defender Gary Neville, who questioned why FIFA chose not to provide fans with immediate clarity.“Offside. We all think so here. Everyone at home thinks so. FIFA is the host broadcaster and they have the semi-automatic decision they can show us. Why don’t they show us?” Neville said on ITV:He went further, likening FIFA’s handling of the situation to a dictatorship.“It’s like a dictator. Honestly, it’s like a dictatorship, this. This idea that they hold this evidence internally and don’t show it to the fans of the countries that play in the tournaments.
It’s completely ridiculous. Show it right away. Why no transparency? He added.
Qatar snatches a historic point in the World Cup
While the controversy over Video Assistant Referee (VAR) dominated the headlines, Qatar celebrated a historic achievement after Boualem Khoukhi headed home in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal a stunning 1-1 draw and give the Gulf nation its first ever point in a World Cup.Switzerland, which controlled the ball and wasted many opportunities after Embolo’s penalty kick, paid a heavy price for its waste.Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria admitted: “Obviously we did not play the game we needed to.” “We had many chances and missed many chances in front of goal. Today we paid a heavy price.”
