San Francisco Bay Area: FIFA issued an official clarification on the AR controversy during Switzerland vs Qatar at the FIFA World Cup 2026, stating that "a brief technical glitch" disrupted the generation of the semi-automated offside animation graphic and "workflow of the VAR was not affected by this issue."
The incident occurred in the 14th minute of the game, when Switzerland was given a penalty kick as Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada fouled Swiss player Remo Freuler. Even though video replays looked like Freuler might have been offside before the foul, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checked the play and decided the penalty was correct.
But fans and commentators were left temporarily in the dark when the broadcast failed to display the customary 3D animation confirming the onside decision. Former Manchester United captain turned television pundit Gary Neville slammed the world football governing body as a "dictator" after they failed to share a VAR replay of a controversial penalty decision.
