A controversial incident during the 2026 World Cup match between Switzerland and Qatar has ignited intense discussions within the football community. The match’s turmoil began in the first half when a penalty was awarded to Switzerland following a collision between Remo Freuler and Qatar’s goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. Questions arose concerning a potential offside by a Swiss player before the foul occurred.
Despite a VAR review, officials decided to uphold the penalty, which was converted by Breel Embolo. Notably, viewers were not presented with the graphic images from the semi-automated offside technology that usually help clarify such disputes, leading to increased frustration among fans.
Among the critics of the referees’ decision was former Manchester United defender Gary Neville. He voiced strong concerns over FIFA’s transparency regarding VAR operations, questioning the omission of offside data that had been made available in previous tournaments.
FIFA has all the data from the automated offside system. Why aren’t they showing it? At the last tournament, they did. Fans are already skeptical about these technologies. For me, it’s offside until they prove otherwise. When you have information but refuse to share it with the public, this feels like a dictatorship, the expert said.