Teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) delivered impressive performances in their opening matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following South Korea’s strong showing, Qatar and Australia also made their mark on football’s biggest stage.
Qatar made history at the World Cup by earning their first-ever point in the tournament’s final stage. The Maroons held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time goal in their Group B match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, United States, on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The result was particularly significant for Qatar. After losing all of their matches as hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, they finally ended their long wait for a point on football’s grandest stage.
According to Al Jazeera, Switzerland dominated much of the match. Murat Yakin’s side enjoyed 68 percent possession and registered 26 shots compared to Qatar’s seven.
However, that dominance failed to translate into victory.
Switzerland took the lead in the 17th minute through a penalty converted by Breel Embolo. The spot kick was awarded after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada brought down Remo Freuler inside the penalty area.
The decision generated controversy, as replay footage appeared to show a possible offside position involving Embolo before he received the cross. Although no definitive angle was shown during the live broadcast, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) upheld the penalty decision.
Embolo calmly converted the penalty to give Switzerland a 1-0 lead. The goal also became Switzerland’s first penalty scored during regular play in World Cup history.
The incident resulted in a yellow card for Abunada. Nevertheless, he was named Man of the Match after making five crucial saves as Switzerland continued to pressure Qatar’s defense.
As the match entered six minutes of added time and Switzerland appeared to be heading toward victory, Qatar found its historic moment.
A swift counterattack led by Akram Afif broke through the Swiss defense. Afif delivered the ball to the left flank before it was sent into the penalty area. Veteran defender Boualem Khoukhi met the cross with a powerful header that beat goalkeeper Gregor Kobel in the 94th minute.
“We are very proud of ourselves. This is our first point in history. Hopefully, in the next match we can earn three points and make even greater history,” Afif said after the match.
The Al Sadd forward acknowledged Switzerland’s greater experience and explained that Qatar deliberately adopted a disciplined approach while waiting for opportunities on the counterattack.
On the Swiss side, the draw was met with disappointment. Captain Granit Xhaka believed his team should have secured all three points given its dominance throughout the match.
“Every draw feels like a defeat. We must accept that we need to do much more than what we showed today,” Xhaka said.
With the additional point, Qatar remain in contention for a place in the next round. They will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 25 in a decisive Group B encounter.
Meanwhile, Switzerland will attempt to return to winning ways when they face the same opponent earlier, on June 19, 2026.
Surprise Result in Group D
In Group D, Australia produced one of the tournament’s early surprises by defeating Turkey 2-0 at BC Place Stadium in Canada on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The Socceroos secured victory through goals from Nestory Irankunda in the 27th minute and midfielder Connor Metcalfe in the 75th minute.
The result moved Australia into second place in the provisional Group D standings, trailing host nation the United States on goal difference after the Americans defeated Paraguay 4-1 in another match.
Australia head coach Tony Popovic said the victory was the result of his players’ hard work in containing Turkey’s attacking play.
Although Turkey recorded 30 shot attempts, most of them were successfully dealt with by Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
“We tried to guide and support the players, and they were outstanding,” Popovic said, as quoted by FIFA’s official website.
Disappointment for Turkey
Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella expressed disappointment with the result.
Despite controlling 57 percent of possession through the efforts of Arda Güler and his teammates, Turkey struggled to convert their dominance into goals.
From the opening whistle, the match was fiercely contested and highly physical.
Australia broke the deadlock in the 27th minute through a counterattacking move. After receiving a pass from Paul Okon-Engstler, Irankunda found the net past goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.
The 1-0 scoreline remained unchanged at halftime.
At the start of the second half, Montella introduced Kenan Yıldız in place of Barış Alper Yılmaz in an attempt to break down Australia’s defense. However, the substitution failed to produce the desired effect.
While Turkey continued searching for an equalizer, Australia struck again in the 75th minute when Metcalfe doubled the lead to 2-0.
Turkey continued pressing for a response, but no goal came before the final whistle.
Although the match was played at a high intensity and featured numerous fouls, Yunus Akgün was the only player shown a yellow card by the referee.***
