Switzerland controversially took the lead against Qatar with Breel Embolo’s penalty, with many pundits and fans left baffled that VAR did not give an offside in the build up
Gary Neville was far from happy with FIFA’s decision not to share a replay(Image: ITV Sport)
Gary Neville slammed FIFA as a ‘dictatorship’ after they failed to share a VAR replay of Switzerland’s controversial penalty decision. Breel Embolo had given the European side the lead against Qatar in San Francisco on Saturday evening.
Switzerland had been awarded a spot kick after Remo Freuler had been taken down by Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. Replays appeared to show that Freuler was offside. But the original decision remained following a VAR review.
Bafflingly, a replay of the decision was not shown on TV, with many still believing that Freuler was offside. And ITV pundit Neville took aim at FIFA for choosing not to clarify the controversy.
Speaking at half time, he said: “Offside. We all think it here [that it was offside]. 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. There is a massive question over that because it is offside in my eyes until they prove me different. “
The former Manchester United defender added: “It’s like a dicator. 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.
“Honestly to not show the evidence of an offisde. Prove to us it’s offside. Show it straight away. Why not the transparency?”
Colleague Ian Wright also took aim at the failure to share a replay as he said: “With the semi-automatic line, why haven’t we seen that? 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.”
Wright and Neville were not the only ones to believe that Freuler was offside. Commentator Lee Dixon said: “There’s no doubt about it being a penalty, my arm did go up for the offside. For the run, just there, he’s offside. This won’t count. He just wandered off. The referee can’t see that so points to the spot.”
After the decision was made, he added: “There must be something wrong with my monitor” before saying that he was certain it was offside.
The decision to not share the replay was the latest refereeing controversy at the 2026 World Cup. Three players were sent off in the tournament’s opening game between South African and Mexico, two of those dismissals being contentious at best.
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