Khoukhi’s stoppage-time header earns Qatar their first World Cup point
Boualem Khoukhi headed home in the 94th minute as Qatar held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw in their Group B opener, claiming the country’s first ever point at a World Cup.
Jun 13, 2026
Qatar waited until the 94th minute to rewrite their World Cup story. Captain Boualem Khoukhi climbed at the back post to head home a stoppage-time equaliser against Switzerland on June 13, snatching a 1-1 draw at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and handing Qatar the first point in the country’s World Cup history.
For almost the entire afternoon the game had been heading the other way. Switzerland controlled possession, peppered the Qatar goal and looked set to open their Group B campaign with three comfortable points. Then one ball into the box undid all of it, and the celebrations that followed told you exactly how much the moment meant.
Switzerland dominate but cannot find the second goal
Murat Yakin’s side took the lead in the 17th minute. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada came out to challenge Remo Freuler and caught the midfielder, and Breel Embolo stepped up to convert the penalty for his first goal of this World Cup. It was a clinical finish from a player who has carried Switzerland’s attack for years.
From there the Swiss kept coming. They finished the match with 26 shots worth more than three expected goals, a return that should have killed the contest long before stoppage time. Time and again, though, the final touch let them down, whether through wayward finishing or a Qatar block thrown in front of the ball. Leaving the door open at this level rarely goes unpunished.
Khoukhi makes history at the death
Qatar barely threatened for long stretches, but they were still alive when the fourth official signalled five added minutes. A cross was floated to the back post, and Khoukhi, the captain and one of the few survivors from the squad that hosted the 2022 tournament, rose highest to glance his header past the goalkeeper. Several Qatari players sank to the turf while others sprinted away in disbelief.
The draw means more to Qatar than the single point suggests. As hosts in 2022 they lost all three group games and became the first host nation to exit without a victory or even a point. Reaching their second World Cup and immediately taking something off a side ranked well above them is the kind of result that resets a footballing nation’s sense of itself.
Group B blown wide open
The late goal also reshaped the group. With co-hosts Canada having drawn 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the other Group B opener, all four teams now sit level on a single point, and nothing has been decided. Switzerland will feel they let two points slip and now meet Bosnia knowing a win is close to essential.
Qatar, for their part, turn their attention to co-hosts Canada with belief they would not have carried before kick-off. There is an extra edge to their tournament for Indian fans too, given that Qatar were the side who ended India’s run in the 2026 qualifying campaign. On this evidence, the team that did the eliminating intends to make the most of being here.