Boualem Khoukhi
Qatar national team defender who scored a 90+5 header to earn Qatar's first-ever World Cup point.
Last refreshed: 14 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How did Boualem Khoukhi score Qatar's first-ever World Cup point?
Timeline for Boualem Khoukhi
headed Qatar level in the 90th minute plus five for the nation's first-ever World Cup point
2026 FIFA World Cup: FIFA's hidden VAR graphic ignites row- Who scored Qatar's equaliser against Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup?
- Boualem Khoukhi, Qatar's captain and centre-back, headed home from a corner in the 94th minute to earn a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on 13 June 2026. It was Qatar's first World Cup point ever.Source: Al Jazeera / ESPN
- Is Boualem Khoukhi Algerian or Qatari?
- Khoukhi was Born in Bou Ismail, Algeria, and represented Algeria at youth level before becoming a naturalised Qatari citizen and committing to the Qatar national team, which he now captains.Source: Wikipedia / Transfermarkt
- What club does Boualem Khoukhi play for?
- Khoukhi plays for Al-Sadd in the Qatar STARs League, where he has been since July 2017 with over 247 appearances.Source: Transfermarkt
- Did Qatar ever win a World Cup match before 2026?
- Qatar has never won a World Cup match. Their 2022 debut as hosts ended with three defeats and bottom place in Group A. The 1-1 draw with Switzerland on 13 June 2026 was their first World Cup point.Source: FIFA records
Background
Boualem Khoukhi was Born on 9 July 1990 in Bou Ismail, Algeria, and represented Algeria at under-23 and Olympic level before naturalising as a Qatari citizen. A commanding centre-back, he has spent the bulk of his club career at Al-Sadd in the Qatar STARs League, joining in July 2017 after seven seasons at Al-Arabi and making over 247 appearances. He is Qatar's captain and, with approximately 125 international caps, one of the most-capped players in his nation's history.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Khoukhi played all three group-stage matches as Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening game and finished bottom of Group A with zero points. His redemption arrived at the 2026 qualifying campaign: he headed in the opening goal from an Akram Afif free kick in the 52nd minute of Qatar's decisive 2-1 win over the UAE in October 2025, sending the team to its second consecutive World Cup.
At the 2026 tournament, Khoukhi came to prominence as the match-winner in Qatar's Group B opener against Switzerland on 13 June. With the hosts trailing 1-0 through a first-half Breel Embolo penalty, Khoukhi drove a header home from a corner in the 94th minute, earning Qatar a 1-1 draw and their first World Cup point in history. The match was also the centre of controversy over FIFA withholding the VAR offside graphic for the Swiss penalty.
