2026 World Cup: Qatar Stuns Switzerland with a Sensational 1-1 Draw in the 94th Minute
A sensational result at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, not far from San Francisco. Switzerland, which will compete in Group B of the 2026 World Cup—the same group Italy would have been in had it qualified at Bosnia’s expense—could not manage more than a deeply disappointing 1-1 draw against Qatar. After Embolo’s opening goal in the 17th minute—scored from a penalty earned by Bologna captain Remo Freuler—the Swiss failed to close out the match and conceded the equalizer in the 94th minute. Khoukhi scored the equalizer, giving his team its first-ever point in a World Cup.
The match statistics speak for themselves: 26 shots to 7 for Switzerland, though only 7 were on target compared to 4 from a determined Qatar. The latter, in fact, had the first chance just seconds after the opening whistle, when Edmilson Junior capitalized on a mistake by Akanji to force a tough save from Kobel. Ndoye and Akanji tried their luck at the other end, but the game changed when goalkeeper Abunada clumsily brought down Freuler in the box. It’s a penalty, which Embolo converts in the 17th minute, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Zakaria could have doubled the lead, but Qatar isn’t just a spectator on the field: moments before halftime, Kobel has to make a great save against the ever-present Edmilson Junior. Then, in stoppage time, Aebischer comes close twice more to scoring the insurance goal for Switzerland, which also tries its luck in the second half with Xhaka, Ndoye, Vargas, and especially a selfish Embolo. It seemed destined to end that way, but after another save by Kobel on Alaaeldin, Khoukhi’s header in stoppage time off an assist from Al Amin sealed the most sensational result so far since the start of the 2026 World Cup.
A result that carries enormous weight in the Group B standings, already enlivened by Thursday night’s 1-1 draw between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. In that match as well, both teams gave it their all: the Bosnians, the same team that eliminated Italy in the March playoffs, took the lead through Jovo Lukic in the 21st minute before being pegged back by Larin in the 77th minute, off an assist from Promise David. Group B thus finds itself with three draws in the first two matches played and a surprising balance that throws everything up in the air ahead of the upcoming matches.
For Switzerland, this is a World Cup start that falls well short of expectations. Murat Yakin’s team arrived at the World Cup with excellent credentials, boasting a squad of international caliber and coming off a convincing pre-tournament run that culminated in a 4-1 win over Jordan and a friendly against Australia in San Diego. The Swiss, making their 13th World Cup appearance, had reached the round of 16 in each of the last three tournaments, though they were eliminated each time by Argentina, Sweden, and Portugal, respectively. Drawing 1-1 against Qatar—making its second-ever World Cup appearance and having failed to earn a single point even during its home World Cup—is therefore a setback that is hard to swallow.
For Qatar, however, this is a historic and invaluable point. The national team coached by Lopetegui was coming off a forgettable home tournament in 2022, when it had collected zero points, scored just one goal, and suffered the shame of being the first host nation, alongside South Africa in 2010, to fail to advance past the group stage. Khoukhi’s goal in the 94th minute erases those bad memories, at least in part, and sends a clear message to the other teams in the group: Qatar is no longer just a bit player.
