Julen Lopetegui Leads Qatar vs Switzerland Live After Abunada Penalty Save
julen lopetegui’s World Cup 2026 live coverage opened with Qatar and Switzerland lined up for the anthems on June 13, 2026, and Mahmoud Abunada quickly became the match’s first decisive figure. The Qatar goalkeeper saved a penalty after a foul in the box, then kept out more Switzerland attempts as the opening spell turned into a test of control.
Abunada Sets the Tone
Abunada denied Manuel Akanji with a left-footed shot from the centre of the box, then stopped Dan Ndoye’s right-footed effort from the right side of the area. He had already conceded the penalty that put Qatar under pressure, but the early saves gave them a way back into a match that had barely settled after the anthems.
Switzerland kept finding space around the box. Ndoye also missed a left-footed shot from the centre after a cross from Ricardo Rodríguez, while Gregor Kobel was forced into a save of his own at the other end when Edmílson Junior sent a right-footed shot from the left side of the box toward goal.
Switzerland Press, Qatar Respond
The balance of the opening phase swung through set pieces and half-chances. Switzerland won a corner after Homam El Amin conceded it, Remo Freuler was caught offside, and Breel Embolo had a right-footed shot from outside the box blocked.
Qatar were not just surviving through Abunada. Pedro Miguel won a free kick in the defensive half twice, a small but useful release under pressure as Switzerland kept pushing in the area around the penalty spot.
That early strain came into sharper focus because Qatar’s build-up had already been disrupted. Friendlies against Serbia and Argentina were postponed, leaving the side with a last-five-game record of D-L-L-D-L before this opening stretch in Group B and Group D coverage.
Qatar’s Early Margin
The opening minutes left Qatar with a narrow, fragile foothold. Abunada’s penalty save and two more stops gave them the only cushion they could take from a first phase that had already featured a foul in the area, a corner against them, and repeated Swiss attempts from inside and outside the box. The match had not settled, but Qatar had already been forced to absorb the first wave.
