Fans Claim Switzerland Was Spared an Offside Call in World Cup Opener

Social media erupted after Qatar’s match against Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup, with many users accusing the officials of getting a key call wrong. The controversy centered on a penalty sequence in which Qatar’s goalkeeper appeared to commit a clear foul in the box, but replays suggested the Swiss player who was brought down may have been offside when he moved toward the ball.

Despite that, the VAR team did not call the referee to review the incident. The penalty stood, and Breel Embolo scored the opening goal. The incident quickly became a talking point online, where users argued that Qatar had been robbed and asked, in different variations, how the offside was not given.

The article notes that the backlash was immediate and widespread, with several posts from football accounts and fans claiming Switzerland should have been flagged for offside in the build-up. One post said, “VAR DID NOT OVERTURN THIS OFFSIDE & THEY KEPT THE PENALTY,” while another asked, “Why’s that not been called for offside then?”

Sport 5 published the report on June 13, 2026, at 22:35. The piece frames the moment as the first major controversy, or “robbery,” of the tournament, as fans debated whether the goal should have stood.