What VAR replay issue did FIFA face during the Qatar vs Switzerland match?

FIFA received criticism after a disputed VAR call led to a penalty for Switzerland, but the replay linked to an offside review was not shown to viewers.

How did Switzerland score, and what was the penalty decision based on?

Switzerland took the lead in the 17th minute when Breel Embolo scored from the spot. The penalty followed an incident in which Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada appeared to foul Remo Freuler, with replays suggesting Freuler may have moved offside before the foul.

Why did pundits and fans question FIFA’s VAR transparency?

Former England player Gary Neville and Ian Wright criticized FIFA for not displaying the evidence connected to the offside review, arguing that it damaged trust and that supporters deserved a clear view of decisions in major matches.

What explanation did FIFA give for the missing offside graphic?

FIFA said a brief technical failure prevented an offside animation graphic from being generated before the penalty. It stated the problem occurred before Switzerland’s penalty in the 14th minute and was quickly resolved.

Did FIFA say the technical failure affected the VAR process?

No. FIFA stated the workflow of VAR was not affected and that officials followed the usual check, with VAR lines showing no offside in the two moments immediately before the penalty decision.

FIFA World Cup Controversy: Fans Outraged As FIFA Fails To Show Key VAR Penalty Replay In 2026

By Gaurav Sharma

Updated: Sunday, June 14, 2026, 10:01 [IST]

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FIFA faced fresh scrutiny just two days into the FIFA World Cup, after a disputed VAR call shaped Qatar’s Group B match against Switzerland. The issue centred on a penalty awarded to Switzerland, with fans and pundits questioning why the offside replay was not shown.

Switzerland went ahead in the 17th minute through Breel Embolo, who scored from the spot. The penalty came after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada appeared to foul Remo Freuler. Replays suggested Freuler may have moved offside before the incident.

AI Summary

AI-generated summary, reviewed by editors

A VAR decision granting Switzerland a penalty against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup sparked criticism over withheld offside replays; FIFA cited a technical failure preventing the animation, though the controversial call did not affect the final 1-1 score.

FIFA World Cup VAR replay issue draws criticism

Although many accepted that Freuler was brought down, the build-up caused debate. The referee’s decision stayed in place after a VAR check. However, FIFA did not show the replay linked to the offside review, which increased anger during the 48-team tournament.

Former England player Gary Neville criticised FIFA for keeping the evidence away from viewers. He said the governing body had access to semi-automatic technology. Neville argued that supporters deserved a clear view of decisions affecting major FIFA World Cup matches.

Can someone pls explain to me why the penalty was given, when Freuler was clearly in an offside position pic.twitter.com/dhFC82vneB https://t.co/AGHwwZRvfh
— Ezzy (@EzzyMUFC) June 13, 2026

"Offside. We all think it here that it was offside. Everybody at home thinks it. Fifa are the host broadcaster, and they have the semi-automatic decision that they can show us," mirror.co.uk quoted Neville as saying.

"Why are they not showing us? They did this in the last tournament. Fans are already distrustful of FIFA and technology to start with. There is a massive question over that because it is offside in my eyes until they prove me different," he added.

FIFA World Cup VAR transparency questioned by pundits

Neville, a former Manchester United defender, said the lack of public proof damaged trust. He compared the handling of the footage to a “dictatorship”. He also said World Cup matches often turn on very small margins.

"It's like a dictator. Honestly, it's like a dictatorship, this. The idea that they hold this evidence internally and don't show fans of countries that are playing in tournaments. It's absolutely ridiculous," said Neville.

"Honestly, to not show the evidence of an offside. Prove to us it's offside. Show it straight away. Why not the transparency?" he added.

Ian Wright, Neville’s colleague, also backed the criticism. Wright said viewers often see similar offside lines in the Premier League. He called the situation a scandal and questioned why the semi-automatic line was not displayed.

"With the semi-automatic line, why haven't we seen that? We actually don't need to see it, we see it in the Premier League every week, he looks offside, I just don't understand it. They do what they want; they're sitting in the office. It's a scandal," said Wright.

FIFA World Cup VAR outage explained by FIFA

After criticism grew, FIFA issued a statement about the missing graphic. The body said a short technical failure stopped the onside animation from being created. It said this happened before Switzerland’s penalty against Qatar in the 14th minute.

"During the Qatar vs. Switzerland match in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical outage prevented the onside animation graphic from being generated ahead of the penalty awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute. The issue was quickly resolved," FIFA stated.

FIFA also said the technical problem did not affect the VAR process. According to the governing body, officials followed the usual check for the on-field decision. It said the VAR lines showed no offside in the two moments before the penalty.

"The workflow of the VAR was not affected by this issue and followed the normal procedure in checking the on-field decision. The lines used by the VAR to check the position of the relevant players did not show the attacking player to be in an offside position in either of the two situations immediately before the penalty decision," the body added.

The match eventually finished 1-1, despite Switzerland taking the early lead. Qatar claimed one point after scoring in the final moments. The VAR debate, however, remained the main talking point from the Group B fixture.

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