A controversial incident during the 2026 World Cup match between Switzerland and Qatar has ignited significant backlash within the football community. The drama unfolded in the first half when Switzerland was awarded a penalty after Remo Freuler collided with Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. However, suspicions arose regarding a potential offside by the Swiss player prior to the foul.
Despite a VAR review, officials upheld their decision, raising eyebrows among fans and commentators alike. Notably, the graphic images typically provided by the semi-automated offside technology to clarify controversial calls were not shown to viewers during the broadcast.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was among those most vocal in criticizing the referees’ decision. He expressed frustration with FIFA’s lack of transparency in the VAR process, questioning why the data from the automated offside system was not made available to the public.
FIFA has all the data from the automated offside system. Why aren’t they showing it? At the last tournament, they did. Fans are already skeptical about these technologies. For me, it’s offside until they prove otherwise. When you have information but refuse to share it with the public, this feels like a dictatorship, the expert said.