Switzerland is in full control against the former hosts, Qatar. In their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Switzerland and Qatar are roughly 35 minutes in (at the time of publication), and the Swiss lead 1-0.
The Swiss have been the better team since kickoff. A crazy and scary situation happened around the 16th minute, as Qatari goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada was issued a yellow card for his foul near the net. The worst part was that he was in a ton of pain after. He remained in the game, and Breel Embolo nailed in the penalty for the first of the tournament.
SWITZERLAND HAS ITS FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP!
Embolo converts from the spot to score his 3rd career FIFA World Cup goal pic.twitter.com/60ZMrcwxk7
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 13, 2026
Here is what happened leading up to the penalty.
A brutal collision for Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada, thankfully, he is ok, but a penalty for Switzerland
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 13, 2026
Switzerland has a real shot to make some noise during group play. Three points here against Qatar would be a great way to open up the games. They will take on Bosnia next, followed by Canada. As the highest-ranked team in Group B, the Swiss are favored to win the group and have a chance to take on a favorable opponent for their first knockout stage match.
Embolo and Dan Ndoye are the top goal scorers on the squad. They have what it takes to lead this team to at least one more win in this tournament. If they gain at least one point against Canada and Bosnia, then they will win the group, depending on how many goals they score against Qatar on Saturday.
Brazil and Morocco face off at 6:00 Eastern Time on Saturday. That is, without a doubt, the best group stage game in 2026 between two Top 7 squads. Stay tuned for more updates and stories for that match and the rest of the 2026 World Cup.
The post Switzerland converts first penalty of 2026 World Cup against former host Qatar appeared first on ClutchPoints.
