Qatar’s resilience against Switzerland, on Saturday (13), in Santa Clara (USA), owes much to goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, whose decisive saves kept the team in the game.
A remarkable recovery for a player who was close to retiring due to a serious back injury.
The 26-year-old, who made his international debut last year, made six saves as Qatar snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw in the final minutes against Switzerland to earn their first World Cup point in Group B.
The achievement was described by Abunada, voted Man of the Match, as “the most beautiful moment of my career”. Holding back tears as he accepted the award, he said: “I dedicate this moment to my mother and my family.”
Coach Julen Lopetegui’s decision to start Abunada was surprising given his limited experience and the presence of Meshaal Barsham, a key player in Qatar’s 2023 Asian Cup win.
Abunada, who is of Palestinian descent, exceeded expectations in his seventh international appearance despite the pressure of playing on the world stage against a team that had reached the last 16 in four of their last five World Cup appearances.
“He has a strong presence on the pitch and an impressive ability to excel,” Younes Ali, who coached him at his former club Al Arabi, told Reuters.
This resilience was evident against Switzerland, when the goalkeeper recovered from an initial error in the 14th minute, giving a penalty to Remo Freuler that Breel Embolo converted, to make a series of decisive saves, highlighted by a brilliant intervention from close range to deny Ruben Vargas the goal.
SHADOW OF RETIREMENT
After being promoted to Al Arabi’s first team, Abunada was called up to the Qatar squad in 2020, but struggled to secure a place in the starting line-up.
Just when he was starting to establish himself, he suffered a serious back injury that ruled him out for the entire 2023/24 Qatar league season, after a second surgery in Munich, Germany.
His fortunes did not improve the following season, with just nine league appearances for Al Arabi, amid reports that he had considered retirement due to his ongoing injury problems.
However, he recovered by moving to Al Rayyan in search of a fresh start, playing in 20 of 22 league matches and ending the 2025/26 season as their best goalkeeper.
Abunada’s determination paid off, and he became his country’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup, making his debut at major tournaments.
“After undergoing two back surgeries, he showed great determination to become the starting goalkeeper and managed to achieve his dream,” said Younes Ali.
