FIFA has issued an explanation following the controversial VAR incident that overshadowed Switzerland’s dramatic 1-1 draw against Qatar at the 2026 World Cup, insisting that a temporary technical glitch only affected the on-screen graphics and not the review process itself.The governing body came under scrutiny after Switzerland were awarded an early penalty despite television replays suggesting Remo Freyler’s build-up may have been offside. The absence of the usual semi-automatic offside animation surprised fans and pundits and led to accusations of a lack of transparency.
FIFA explains missing VAR visuals
The incident took place in the 14th minute at Levi’s Stadium when Qatari goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nadah collided with a freewheeler inside the box. Briel Embolo converted the penalty to give the Swiss team the lead.Questions arose quickly because broadcasters failed to show the semi-automatic offside graphic that usually accompanies such assessments.In a statement, FIFA confirmed that the technology responsible for creating the animation had briefly broken down during the check.“During the Qatar vs. Switzerland match in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical glitch prevented the onside animation graphic from being generated before a penalty awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute. The issue was immediately resolved,” FIFA said.“VAR’s workflow was not affected by this issue and followed normal procedures in checking on-field decisions. The lines used by VAR to check the positions of the players concerned did not show the attacking player in an offside position in either case immediately before the penalty was awarded,” he added.
Neville attacked fiercely.
The lack of visual evidence angered former England defender Gary Neville, who questioned why FIFA chose not to provide an immediate explanation to supporters.“Offside. We all think that here. Everyone at home thinks that. FIFA is the host broadcaster and they have a semi-automated decision that they can show us. Why aren’t they showing us?” Neville said on ITV.He went even further, comparing FIFA’s handling of the situation to a dictatorship.“It’s like a dictatorship. Honestly, it’s like a dictatorship. The idea that they keep that evidence internally and don’t show it to the fans of the countries that are playing in the tournament. This is absolutely ridiculous. Show it right away. Why not transparency?” he added.
Qatar took away the historic point of the World Cup.
While the VAR controversy dominated the headlines, Qatar celebrated a historic victory when Bollam Khokhi headed home in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure a stunning 1-1 draw and earn the Gulf nation its first World Cup point.Switzerland, who dominated possession and wasted several chances after Embolo’s penalty, paid dearly for their wastefulness.“Obviously, we didn’t play the type of match we needed,” admitted Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria. “We had a lot of chances and we missed a lot in front of goal. We paid the price today.”
