Qatar worked late magic and denied Switzerland victory | OneFootball

In a movie-like finish, Qatar managed to rescue a golden point at the 2026 World Cup by scoring the final 1-1 against Switzerland in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Throughout the match played in Santa Clara, the European side (“La Nati”) showed clear footballing superiority over the most recent World Cup hosts. However, the Swiss paid dearly for their lack of precision in putting the game away, keeping a Qatari team alive that held onto its narrow deficit until delivering the fatal blow.

The opening goal had come early from the penalty spot, also becoming the first penalty awarded so far in the tournament. Honduran referee Said Martínez pointed to the spot after Remo Freuler broke through the lines on the edge of offside and was brought down in the box by Qatari goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham (Abunada).

In the 17th minute of the first half, Breel Embolo took responsibility and made it 1-0 with a precise finish. In doing so, the Swiss striker recorded his third World Cup goal, recalling the two he had already scored in the 2022 edition.

Although Switzerland controlled the flow of the match and dictated play almost without any scares at their own end, they could not turn that difference into a result. Qatar, without creating much danger but with great tenacity, stayed within reach of a mistake and ended up celebrating a dramatic draw that halts Swiss hopes and rewards their persistence in the closing stages.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.