Qatar produced one of the early surprises of the 2026 World Cup as Boualem Khoukhi’s stoppage-time header secured a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in San Francisco and delivered the nation’s first ever point at a World Cup finals.
Switzerland controlled long spells of the match and looked set to open their Group campaign with a win. Breel Embolo gave them the lead from the penalty spot after Mahmoud Abunada brought down Remo Freuler inside the area.
The Swiss dictated possession, moved the ball comfortably through midfield and created chance after chance. Granit Xhaka ran the game from deep, while Embolo caused constant problems with his movement and physical presence.
Despite their dominance, Switzerland failed to kill the match. They finished with 24 shots, including seven on target, but could not find a second goal. Embolo squandered a clear opportunity late on, while Ruben Vargas, Dan Ndoye and others failed to turn pressure into goals.
Qatar spent much of the afternoon defending. Julen Lopetegui’s side sat deep, absorbed pressure and relied on counter-attacks. Akram Afif struggled to influence the game, but the hosts stayed within touching distance as goalkeeper Abunada produced several important saves.
The tempo dropped during the second half as temperatures climbed to around 31 degrees Celsius. Switzerland continued to enjoy more possession but lost some of the intensity that had driven their first-half display.
That proved costly. With six minutes added on, Qatar threw men forward in search of an equaliser. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Khoukhi rose at the back post and powered a header beyond Gregor Kobel to spark celebrations among the Qatar supporters.
The late goal punished Switzerland for their wastefulness and completed a historic afternoon for Qatar. The Gulf nation left the field with its first ever point at a FIFA World Cup finals tournament, while Switzerland faced questions about how they allowed a winning position to slip away.
