India's FIFA World Cup 2026 Dreams Dashed Amid Controversial Match Refereeing In Qualifier Against Qatar

India's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been dashed following a 2-1 loss to Qatar, with the match referee playing a significant role in the outcome.

Indian men’s football team was eliminated from the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers after a 2-1 loss to reigning Asian champions Qatar in their final Group A match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on June 11 (Tuesday). A controversial equaliser by Youssef Aymen turned the game around after India had taken the lead and successfully held Qatar at bay for a considerable time.

India finished third in Group A with just one win in six games, failing to advance to the third round. Kuwait, who defeated Afghanistan 1-0, joined group leaders Qatar in progressing to the next round of the qualifiers.

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Controversial Decision Mars India's Performance In Second Half Against Qatar

India held a 1-0 lead at halftime, but Qatar staged a comeback in the second half, courtesy of goals from Youssef Yousef Aymen (73’) and Ahmed Al-Rawi (85’). Youssef's goal proved to be the turning point, marred by controversy as it stemmed from a clear officiating error. Replays unequivocally indicated that the ball had crossed the byline, warranting a corner kick in India's favour.However, match referee Kim Woo-Sung, from South Korea, made an inexplicable decision, awarding possession to Qatar instead. Seizing on this opportunity, Youssef found the net, ultimately levelling the score. 

Despite vehement protests from the Indian players, who argued that the ball had already gone out of play before the goal was scored, Kim Woo-Sung remained resolute in his decision.

Referee Kim Woo-Sung compounded this error with further perplexing decisions, including a late yellow card shown to Rahul Bheke, despite the India centre-back not being involved in the tackle, and even overlooking a clear penalty appeal.

Igor Stimac’s side had a chance to regain the lead 10 minutes later, with Jay Gupta and Liston Colaco coming close, but Qatar sealed the victory with Ahmed Al-Rawi’s goal in the 85th minute. India fought hard in the final minutes but couldn't find an equaliser.