Neville brands FIFA a 'dictatorship' after Switzerland's offside penalty stands against Qatar

Gary Neville accused FIFA of running a ‘dictatorship’ after the governing body declined to show a VAR replay of the contentious penalty that gave Switzerland the lead against Qatar at the 2026 World Cup in San Francisco on Saturday.

Breel Embolo converted the spot kick after Remo Freuler was brought down by Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. Replays appeared to show Freuler was offside in the build-up, yet the original decision stood following a VAR review — and, crucially, no semi-automatic offside graphic was broadcast to clarify the call.

Speaking at half-time on ITV, Neville was unequivocal: “Offside. We all think it here. Everybody at home thinks it. FIFA are the host broadcaster and they have the semi-automatic decision that they can show us. Why are they not showing us? They did this in the last tournament. Fans are already distrusting of FIFA and technology to start with.”

He then escalated his criticism: “It’s like a dictator. Honestly, it’s like a dictatorship, this. The idea that they hold this evidence internally and don’t show fans of countries that are playing in tournaments. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Prove to us it’s onside. Show it straight away. Why not the transparency?”

Ian Wright echoed the frustration, calling the omission a scandal. “With the semi-automatic line, why haven’t we seen that?” he said. “We actually don’t need to see it — we see it in the Premier League every week. He looks offside. I just don’t understand it. They do what they want, they’re sitting in the office. It’s a scandal.”

Commentator Lee Dixon also believed the flag should have been raised, saying his arm went up instinctively for offside during the build-up. After the penalty was awarded he added, with evident disbelief: “There must be something wrong with my monitor.”

The incident is the latest officiating controversy to overshadow the 2026 tournament. Three players were sent off in the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, with two of those dismissals widely disputed. The pattern of contentious decisions — compounded by FIFA’s apparent reluctance to share the technology designed to end such disputes — has quickly become a defining narrative of the early stages of the competition.