Qatar vs Switzerland World Cup 2026: Live Score, Result & Where to Watch
Qatar earned their first-ever World Cup point in a thrilling 1–1 draw with Switzerland at Levi's Stadium. Here's the full result, scorers, and how to watch.
Boualem Khoukhi had other ideas. Switzerland dominated for 90 minutes, had 26 shots, and looked set to open their World Cup account with three deserved points, then Qatar's centre-back ghosted into the box in the fifth minute of stoppage time and headed home the most dramatic equalizer of the tournament so far.
Final score: Qatar 1–1 Switzerland. And just like that, the 2026 FIFA World Cup had its first genuine shock.
What Happened at Levi's Stadium
The Group B opener at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, listed by FIFA under the tournament name San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, kicked off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13.
Switzerland took the lead early. In the 17th minute, Breel Embolo stepped up and converted what became the first penalty of the 2026 World Cup, after goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada brought down Remo Freuler inside the box. The build-up to the penalty wasn't without controversy, reports circulated about a possible offside in the lead-up, with the New York Post flagging the VAR process, but the goal stood.
From there, the Swiss pressed for a second. Granit Xhaka controlled the tempo from midfield, Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas caused problems wide, and Gregor Kobel produced a sharp save to deny Edmilson Junior just before half-time. Switzerland racked up 3.24 expected goals across the 90 minutes, a number that tells the story of a team that should have won by more.
But Qatar's counter-attacking shape held. Akram Afif, the creative heartbeat of the Qatari attack, gave the Swiss backline no rest. Assim Madibo and Yusuf Abdurisag kept probing. And then, deep into stoppage time, Khoukhi met a ball from Homam Ahmed and sent Levi's Stadium into chaos.
A 1–1 draw. Qatar's first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup. Every team in Group B now has one point, a scenario that sets up the remainder of the group perfectly.
Lineups
Qatar XI: Mahmoud Abunada, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Issa Laye, Jassem Gaber, Assim Madibo, Homam Ahmed, Akram Afif, Yusuf Abdurisag, Edmilson Junior, Ayoub Alawi
Switzerland XI: Gregor Kobel, Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji, Denis Zakaria, Dan Ndoye, Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka (c), Ruben Vargas, Michel Aebischer, Ricardo Rodriguez, Breel Embolo
Qatar's all-time leading scorer Almoez Ali started on the bench, with Reuters confirming that coach Julen Lopetegui, formerly of Real Madrid, Sevilla, and the Spanish national team, chose to start with a more structured setup.
Qatar vs Switzerland: How to Watch (Globally)
If you missed it live, here's where to catch replays and what the broadcast situation looked like by region:
| Region | Channel / Platform |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | FOX (English), Telemundo (Spanish) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | ITV1, ITVX (free) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | TSN / TSN+ |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | SBS |
| 🇮🇳 India | JioStar / Zee5 |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | beIN SPORTS |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | SRG SSR |
For US cord-cutters wanting to follow the rest of the World Cup, Fox Sports has the full tournament schedule, with every match available on FOX or FS1. Streaming alternatives include YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling (select markets), DirecTV Stream, and Fox One. Worth noting: Tubi only carried opening-day matches free, so a subscription service or free trial is the practical route for the rest of Group B.
UK viewers get the cleanest deal, ITV has rights to this fixture, meaning ITVX streams it completely free with just a valid TV licence.
The Bigger Picture
Qatar's journey to this moment wasn't straightforward. They made their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022 and became the first host nation to be eliminated after just two games, finishing the tournament without a single win and scoring just one goal across three matches. This time around, they qualified on merit, beating UAE 2–1 in the AFC fourth round, and showed up in North America as a different side.
A disrupted build-up didn't help their preparations. Two planned friendlies against Serbia and Argentina were cancelled due to geopolitical reasons, leaving warm-up results of a 1–0 loss to Ireland and a goalless draw with El Salvador as their only pre-tournament data points. Despite all of that, Lopetegui was clear heading in, Qatar weren't here to make up the numbers.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are regulars at this stage. This was their sixth consecutive World Cup, and Xhaka's side had reached the knockout rounds in four of their previous five appearances. But they'll know that 1.0 point from a game they controlled so thoroughly is well below what their performance deserved.
Attendance at Levi's Stadium was reported at 67,966, according to stadium screen displays during the match.
What's Next for Group B
The draw keeps every team in contention heading into matchday two. According to the FIFA match schedule, the next Group B fixtures see Switzerland take on Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 18, while Qatar face co-hosts Canada the same day. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina also drew 1–1 in their opener, meaning all four sides go into matchday two level on a point.
Switzerland need to start converting their chances. Qatar need to build on the belief that late header will carry. This group is wide open.
At a glance
- Khoukhi's stoppage-time header gave Qatar their first-ever FIFA World Cup point, turning a 1–0 deficit into a memorable 1–1 draw.
- Switzerland dominated with 26 shots and 3.24 xG but couldn't put the game away, a costly miss in a group where every point matters.
- All four Group B sides, Qatar, Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, now sit level on one point each ahead of matchday two.
