Qatar snatched the first World Cup point in their history with a stoppage-time equaliser, holding Switzerland to a 1-1 draw at Levi’s Stadium. The Swiss led for almost the entire afternoon and will be furious to have thrown it away in the 94th minute.
For Qatar, who had never taken anything from a World Cup finals before, this was a landmark. A 67,966 crowd in Santa Clara watched them refuse to give up a match that looked beyond them.
Switzerland in control, then undone
Switzerland took the lead in the 17th minute. Remo Freuler was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada to win a penalty, and Breel Embolo stepped up to convert it. The Swiss took that 1-0 advantage into the break and managed the game from there, looking comfortable as the clock ran down.
The leveller, when it came, was excruciating for them. In the 90+4 minute, Qatar captain Boualem Khoukhi rose for a header that FIFA credited as an own goal off Miro Muheim. The exact attribution mattered little to the Qatar bench, who celebrated a moment of genuine history. A defensive lapse at the death cost Switzerland two points they had all but banked.
What it means for Group B
The draw blows Group B wide open. All four teams are now level on one point apiece after the opening round, with nothing separating them. You can follow every table change on our live World Cup 2026 standings, and catch all our coverage at the World Cup 2026 hub.
Switzerland will feel they let a winning position slip and must regroup quickly, while Qatar take huge belief from a point earned the hard way. With the section so tightly bunched, the next round of fixtures could go a long way to deciding who advances, and a late goal like this one is exactly the kind of margin that settles groups this even.