Breel Embolo converted the first penalty of the World Cup 2026 to give Switzerland a 17th-minute lead in their Group B opener against Qatar in Santa Clara on Saturday.
Rennes forward Embolo, whose arrival in the US was held up because of a delay to his visa approval, struck coolly for his 25th international goal following a foul by goalkeeper Abunada on Remo Freuler, with a lengthy Video Assistant Referee review for offside ruling in Switzerland’s favour.
Breel Embolo converts 🥶
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 13, 2026
Switzerland score from the spot! pic.twitter.com/KddRwjB2Yo
Former England defender Lee Dixon was surprised by the decision to award the penalty, having been convinced that a Nati player had been offside.
“I’m looking at a monitor with a 33-degree sun shining straight into it,” Dixon told ITV. “I’ve seen the replay – surely my vision isn’t that bad. I must have missed something.”
The referee points to the spot for Switzerland…
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 13, 2026
But was there a suspicion of offside in the build-up? pic.twitter.com/Tk2lsdHUis
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World Cup 2026: Should Switzerland goal vs Qatar have stood?
Former referee Christina Unkel told Dixon that he had not been “too far off” but backed the review outcome.
“The technology that’s been implemented in this World Cup is at a higher level, so it’s going to be even sharper and crisper,” explained Unkel.
“It did look like offside from our scenario as well, but the technology is so advanced that it’s going to be able to tell very accurately from the millimetre.
“This is a very, very tight offside – but the technology checked on both of the two offside interactions.”
Breel Embolo drops the 6-7 celebration 🤪
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 13, 2026
He puts Switzerland in front from the spot! pic.twitter.com/pDVOTSTOQW
Qatar team vs Switzerland
Ahmed Fathy replaced Assim Madibo in midfield in Qatar’s one change from their 0-0 draw with El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6.
Left-winger Akram Afif, who plays for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd, is a two-time Asian Footballer of the Year.
Qatar starting XI: Mahmoud Abunada, Ayoub Al Oui, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Homam El Amin, Jassem Gaber, Assim Madibo, Issa Laye, Edmílson Junior, Yusuf Abdurisag, Akram Afif
Qatar substitutes: Meshaal Barsham, Lucas Mendes, Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Alaa, Mohammed Muntari, Hassan Al Haydos, Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed Al Ganehi, Sultan Al Brake, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Fathy, Salah Zakaria, Tahsin Mohammed, Al Hashmi Al Hussain, Mohammad Al Mannai
Switzerland team vs Qatar
Switzerland made three alterations from their 1-1 draw with Australia in San Diego a week earlier, bringing in midfielder Denis Zakaria and forwards Embolo and Ruben Vargas.
Silvan Widmer, Zeki Amdouni and Eray Comert moved to the bench.
Switzerland starting XI: Gregor Kobel, Denis Zakaria, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Michel Aebischer, Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez, Dan Ndoye, Breel Embolo, Ruben Vargas
Switzerland substitutes: Yvon Mvogo, Miro Muheim, Silvan Widmer, Johan Manzambi, Ardon Jashari, Djibril Sow, Christian Fassnacht, Eray Comert, Noah Okafor, Marvin Keller, Fabian Rieder, Zeki Amdouni, Aurele Amenda, Luca Jaquez, Cedric Itten
Where to watch Qatar vs Switzerland: TV channel, live online stream
Qatar vs Switzerland kicked off at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT) on Saturday. In the UK, live TV coverage is on ITV1.
Live streaming on a vast range of devices is available through the ITVX app.
Click HERE for a full World Cup TV guide
Qatar vs Switzerland stats
- Qatar finished bottom of their group on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, losing all three of their matches, conceding seven goals and scoring once
- Among sides to have played at least 10 games in the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifiers, Qatar’s games produced more goals per game than any other side (3.61). Of AFC sides to reach the World Cup, Qatar lost more games than any other nation (5)
- Almoez Ali is Qatar’s record marksman with 55 goals in 114 appearances but has not netted since scoring against Oman in December 2024
- Ghanaian-born striker Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar’s only World Cup goal
- Switzerland last reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1954, when the tournament was played on home soil. Since then, they’ve never progressed past the second round
- They are one of two European teams to have reached the knockout stages in each of the last six major international tournaments (World Cup and EURO), alongside France
- Murat Yakin’s side conceded a total of two goals in qualifying, having shipped 14 across six matches in their preceding Nations League campaign
- Embolo was Switzerland’s top scorer in qualifying campaign with four goals and is one of five players to have scored multiple goals at both the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 EURO, along with Harry Kane, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug and Cody Gakpo
- Ricardo Rodriguez is at his fourth edition of the World Cup and has started every single match at six different major tournaments
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