Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Unable to bribe FIFA officials to secure a spot in the World Cup this time, Qatar has allegedly turned to buying referees to help them cheat their way into the tournament. Football fans are outraged after a controversial referee decision allowed a questionable goal from Qatar, ending India’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign and helping Qatar to progress ahead.
Fans took to social media, accusing the referee of “blatant cheating” and robbing India of a chance to advance to the third round, following a 2-1 defeat against Qatar.
The match, held at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, marked a significant moment for India as it was the first game played without iconic former captain Sunil Chhetri in 19 years, under head coach Igor Stimac.
Lallianzuala Chhangte scored in the 37th minute, igniting hope for a historic win for India against the table-topping Qatar side.
Controversy struck in the 73rd minute when Qatar’s Youssef Aymen scored an equalizer under dubious circumstances. Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved a header, but the ball slipped through his legs outside the playing line for a corner kick, but was pulled back into play by Qatari forward Al Hassan, who then passed to Aymen for the goal.
Despite protests from Indian players and the linesman’s attempts to disallow the goal, the referee let it stand, making the score 1-1. Replays showed the ball had crossed the line, causing significant uproar among Indian fans. The referee overruled the protest from linesman, TV referee, 11 Indian players, 5 Indian substitute players, 7 Indian officials to award the fake goal to Qatar.
The decision sparked a massive uproar, with fans accusing the referee of bias and expressing anger over the perceived injustice, which they believe significantly affected India’s chances. This isn’t the first time Qatar has been embroiled in a football controversy. In the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup, Qatari officials were red-handed caught bribing FIFA officials for votes to secure the event’s hosting rights.
Disheartened by the contentious call, India conceded another goal in the final minutes, resulting in a 2-1 defeat and a bitter end to their qualifiers campaign.
The incident highlighted the need for improved officiating standards of FIFA in international matches, with many calling for stricter oversight to prevent such controversies in the future. Corruption within FIFA is nothing new. Over the past 20 years, numerous officials and employees have been caught and convicted for accepting bribes, influencing decisions, and altering the outcomes in favour of certain parties.
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