In a scandalous decision that has left football fans outraged, Qatar's controversial equalizer against India was allowed by the referee despite the ball clearly going out of play. This incident occurred during the second half of the match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday.

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Controversy strikes India vs Qatar match

In the 73rd minute, Abdullah Alahrak’s free-kick led to Yousef Aymen attempting a header, which was saved by India’s goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. As Sandhu lay on the ground, believing the ball had rolled out of play, Hashmi Hussein kicked it back into play, allowing Aymen to slot it into the net. Despite protests from the Indian team, the referee upheld the goal, leading to widespread outrage.

A video of the incident is going viral on social media, sparking a flurry of angry reactions from fans. The controversial goal has ignited a debate about the quality of officiating in international football, especially in important matches. 

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Qatar won 2-1 against India, bringing the Blue Tigers' journey to reach the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers to a controversial end. With the loss, India also failed to secure automatic qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

India were ahead thanks to Lallianzuala Chhangte's 37th minute strike but disaster struck when the referee adjudged Yousef Aymen's goal as fair after the ball appeared to have gone out of play.

The hugely controversial decision disturbed India's momentum as Asian champions Qatar scored their second through Ahmed Al-Rawi in the 85th minute.

In another final second round match, Kuwait beat Afghanistan 1-0. Qatar and Kuwait thus progressed to the second round.