Table of Contents
Brian Sciaretta Soccer Analyst
Switzerland arrived at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup with a realistic goal of making a long run in the knockout stages, but on Sunday, the Swiss turned in a dismal performance where it was only able to find the back of the net through a penalty in the first half.
Instead, it wasted chance after chance to put the game away, allowed Qatar to hang around, and were ultimately punished for it.
Deep into second half stoppage time, Qatar took advantage of a rare scoring opportunity as a cross from left back Homam Elamin found veteran central defender Boualem Khoukhi who headed the ball home with authority for a dramatic equalizer.
Minutes later, the final whistle blew, and each team walked away with a point. But the emotions were very different. For Qatar, this was a massive point and its first ever result in its World Cup history. For Switzerland, it was an embarrassing two points lost.
The reason is that the two teams came into the tournament in different places. Switzerland performed brilliantly in World Cup qualifying, winning UEFA Group B without losing a game. At Euro 2024, Murat Yakin's team got out of its group, defeated Italy in the round of 16 and advanced to the quarterfinal where it narrowly lost to England.
Qatar, on the other hand, is coming off the 2022 World Cup where it had the worst campaign of any host nation in the history of the tournament, having lost all three of its games. Its last win came in October and at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup at the end of the year, Qatar lost all three of its games to Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia.
Even before the game began, it was obvious that Switzerland wanted to dominate while Qatar simply wanted to hang on, perhaps create a chance or two against the run of play, and make sure that the score remained close should goal differential become a decisive factor in determining which of the third place teams advance.
The warning signs were there early for Switzerland. An early turnover gave Qatar a great chance which forced a save. Meanwhile, Switzerland missed a chance while attempting to break down Qatar’s compact defense. It was only from a first half penalty that Breel Embolo was able to find the back of the net.
However, Qatar managed to stay in the game. Even after Embolo moved the Swiss ahead, Qatar did well to stick to its initial game plan. Slowly in the second half, Qatar’s possessions were a little more meaningful. Then in the end, its patience paid off.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Wastefulness Might Affect Swiss Confidence
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The defining story from this game is how the Swiss were remarkably wasteful from the run of play. Qatar deserves a lot of credit for keeping its defense organized and compact throughout the entire game, but Switzerland had plenty of chances to score more goals and had the talent put this one away early. Switzerland had more shots today than in any other World Cup match, surpassing the 21 shots it mustered against Togo in 2006 and the 21 it had against Germany in 1966.
Next up for Switzerland will be teams that are far more dangerous offensively in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Canada. The good news for them is that these teams will not sit back quite as deep defensively and the Swiss should have more space to operate. The bad news is that if they continue to waste as many chances, the Swiss will likely be punished even worse.
Scoring goals and finishing chances at this level is often an issue of confidence. Switzerland did not just lose two points, it might have lost the confidence which is needed heading into the more difficult games. We won’t know until the next game how Switzerland responds, but the team’s mindset is a legitimate concern.
2. More Needed From Granit Xhaka
(Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Granit Xhaka is the captain and the emotional leader of Switzerland. He has a storied career in the top leagues of Europe. But in a game where frustrations become obvious, this is where veteran leadership is needed the most.
Xhaka did not have a good game, and he did not create many chances. Instead, he was part of the problem as he regularly forced the issue by trying to make plays that were not there.
Switzerland can still accomplish its goals at this World Cup but the week ahead in training will be an important time for mental preparation to get the team refocused. Part of that is on head coach Murat Yakin. Part of that is on Xhaka to help the team get back to a positive mindset. If the Swiss can simply refocus and put this behind them, they can be the favorite in the final two games. But that is easier said than done as this result will sting.
3. Qatar Grew Into The Game
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Qatar’s Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui deserves a lot of credit. When Embolo scored, Qatar could have abandoned its deep-sitting defense and instead tried to play more with Switzerland. Instead, Lopetegui had his team continue to sit back and continued to push for chances on the counterattack.
It was a bold strategy given that Qatar had not scored a goal since December at the Arab Cup. But the plan was that the best chances to earn a result would be to continue sitting deep.
It worked and Qatar kept up the same approach for the entire 90 minutes. Ultimately, it walked away with its first ever World Cup point after losing all three games in its tournament debut in 2022.
4. Does Qatar Have A Path Forward?
(Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
With eight of 12 third place teams advancing at this World Cup, almost every team will still be alive heading into its final group stage game. Qatar took a big step forward today towards advancing, but getting there will likely require either a win or at least two more draws.
As well as Qatar played defensively and as poorly as Switzerland played offensively, Qatar still needed a lot of luck. On most days, Switzerland would have found a way to win with a 26-7 shot advantage.
For Qatar, this was likely the most difficult opponent it will face in the group stage. Next up will be Canada who are also disappointed and likely frustrated after failing to win its opener. The pressure in this game is all on Canada, and that can only help Qatar.
Qatar’s hopes of advancing rest primarily on its goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada who conceded the penalty which Embolo converted, but still was the team’s best player over 90 minutes. He made five big saves and did well to keep Switzerland off the board from the run of play.
In the upcoming games, Qatar will likely be outshot by more talented opponents. If Abunada can continue to play just as well as he did today, Qatar might have a chance.
4 ½. What's Next
Group B is wide-open following two 1-1 draws in the first two matches, resulting in all four teams ending their first match day with one point each. With two matches remaining, goal difference and fair play will be the key in Group B.
Switzerland will play Bosnia and Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium in its second group-stage match of the tournament on June 18; Qatar will play co-hosts Canada at BC Place in Vancouver later that day.
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FIFA Men's World Cup WC – Qatar vs. Switzerland – 06/13/2026 
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Brian Sciaretta
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