Group B · Matchday 1
QatarvsSwitzerland
2026-06-13·12:00 localPredictions finalised
The forecast
Match-outcome probability
- Qatar win8.4%
- Draw18.4%
- Switzerland win73.2%
A clash of identities: Qatar's low-block approach meets Switzerland's pragmatic style in a fixture the model gives to Switzerland at 81%.
Why the model says this
Favoring Qatar
- ·H2H record: 1W-0D-0L in 1 meetings
Favoring Switzerland
- ·Elo advantage of 464 points over Qatar
- ·Expected goals 2.46 vs 0.73
What the model can't fully price
- ·Squad availability: 1 carrying a fitness doubt across the two squads. The forecast does not adjust for who is missing: its lineup channel currently contributes zero, so this is context the probabilities do not include.
Form check
Qatar
SteadyQatar: 1W-2D-3L in their last 6 internationals.
1W-2D-3L in last 6
Switzerland
SteadySwitzerland: 2W-3D-1L in their last 6 internationals.
2W-3D-1L in last 6
Analysis
How it plays out
Qatar defend deep and give Switzerland the ball. The question is whether Switzerland's pragmatic approach generates enough final-third creativity to break through. Switzerland's aggressive press (PPDA 22.8) against Qatar's deeper build-up (PPDA 35.0) creates a clear territory question: can Switzerland force errors high up, or will Qatar play through the press and find space behind it?
What decides it
Qatar defend deep and limit space. Set pieces and individual errors become the most likely routes to goal. Switzerland adjust shape to the opponent. That flexibility is an asset, but it takes longer to settle into a game. The scoring threat is evenly split: Akram Afif (4.4%) and Ricardo Rodriguez (7.0%).
Off the pitch
Murat Yakin (5 years in charge of Switzerland) vs Julen Lopetegui (1 years). That tenure gap shows up in squad familiarity and set-piece coordination.
The angle
The model gives Qatar just 9.4% to win. Every World Cup produces group-stage upsets; the question is whether this fixture is one of them.
▸Goals & scorelines
Likeliest score 0–2 (13.5%) · xG 0.6 - 2.6
Expected goals
Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.
Most likely scorelines
- 0–213.5%
- 0–311.7%
- 0–110.1%
- 1–28.4%
- 0–47.6%
From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.
Most likely half-time scorelines
- 0–125.5%
- 0–020.6%
- 0–216.8%
- 1–18.6%
- 0–37.3%
Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.
Goal totals
- More than 0.5 goals95.6%
- More than 1.5 goals83.4%
- More than 2.5 goals62.2%
- More than 3.5 goals40.0%
- More than 4.5 goals22.1%
- More than 5.5 goals10.7%
- Both teams score43.2%
Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.
Event-typed probabilities
- Qatar clean sheetOpposing team scores zero7.5%
- Switzerland clean sheetOpposing team scores zero53.7%
Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.
Win-margin probability
- Qatar by 4+<0.1%
- Qatar by 3+0.3%
- Qatar by 2+1.6%
- Qatar by 1+6.3%
- Draw14.4%
- Switzerland by 1+79.3%
- Switzerland by 2+58.2%
- Switzerland by 3+35.8%
- Switzerland by 4+18.6%
Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.
▸How the match unfolds
Over 2.5 goals 62.2% · BTTS 43.2%
Game state through the match
- Qatar ahead6.7%
- Level13.7%
- Switzerland ahead79.7%
Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.
When the first goal arrives
- 0–1541.4%
- 15–3024.3%
- 30–4514.2%
- 45–608.3%
- 60–754.9%
- 75–902.9%
- No goal4.0%
Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.
Half-time / full-time grid
| HT ↓ / FT → | HQatar win | DDraw | ASwitzerland win |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQatar ahead | 3.5% | 2.5% | 2.3% |
| DLevel | 2.6% | 8.7% | 18.6% |
| ASwitzerland ahead | 0.4% | 2.6% | 58.7% |
Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.
Comeback probability
- Qatar trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT3.0%
- Switzerland trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT4.8%
Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.
Cards
- Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
- Total yellows over 2.567.0%
- Total yellows over 3.545.3%
- Total yellows over 4.526.5%
- Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%
Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.
▸Teams & players
Top scorer: Rodriguez (7.0%)
Match detail
Qatar
Model-rated key players: Akram Afif (FW) — P(scores) 4.4%; Almoez Ali (FW) — P(scores) 4.4%; Ismaeel Mohammad (FW) — P(scores) 4.4%.
Qatar under Julen Lopetegui play a low block game, with just 43% possession — among the lowest in the field. Their likely shape is a 5-3-2, though they have also used other. They sit deeper and pick their moments to press (PPDA 35.0). They are selective in their shooting (6.2 per 90).
Qatar will look to stay compact and frustrate opponents, limiting space and hitting on the break. Set-piece proficiency — both attacking and defending — becomes critical when open-play chances are limited by design. Managing minutes for Hassan Al-Haydos across what could be seven matches will test the coaching staff's rotation planning.
Switzerland
Model-rated key players: Ricardo Rodriguez (DF) — P(scores) 7.0%; Breel Embolo (FW) — P(scores) 4.5%; Zeki Amdouni (FW) — P(scores) 2.5%.
Switzerland under Murat Yakin play a pragmatic game with 50% possession. Their likely shape is a 4-2-3-1, though they have also used 4-3-3. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 22.8).
Switzerland play a pragmatic, results-oriented game that adapts shape to the opposition. Tactical flexibility is their strength. The risk is inconsistency — without a default identity, a poor result can cascade if the team struggles to find a Plan B. Managing minutes for Remo Freuler across what could be seven matches will test the coaching staff's rotation planning.
Switzerland's predicted XI averages 1,993 club minutes over the 2024-25 season (moderate load).
Qatar coverage: 8.0% (2/11 XI matched against the FBref Big-5) · Switzerland: 76.0% (11/11).
Switzerland converts 10.3% from set-pieces (0.27 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.27 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.
- P(Switzerland scores set-piece goal) 23.4%
- P(set-piece goal in match) 23.4%
Qatar: Guilherme on corners (14 corners) (per fbref 2017 18) · Switzerland: Granit Xhaka on free kicks (per fbref 2022 23)
If a penalty is awarded to Qatar, the model gives 72.0% conversion, 71.4% for Switzerland.
Switzerland primary PK: Ricardo Rodriguez (1/2 in 2017-18, per fbref 2022 23).
Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.
Tactical forecast
- PPDA
- 35.0
- Possession
- 43%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 5.9
- Long balls/90
- 38
- Set-piece xG
- —
- PPDA
- 22.8
- Possession
- 50%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 5.4
- Long balls/90
- 34
- Set-piece xG
- 10%
Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.
Squad depth
Most irreplaceable starters
Qatar
- Almoez AliStrikerCover: Ahmed Alaaeldin · 0.130.36gap
- Lucas MendesCentre-backCover: Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain · 0.020.26gap
- Meshaal BarshamGoalkeeperCover: Salah Zakaria · 0.300.17gap
Switzerland
- Dan NdoyeWingerCover: Noah Okafor · 0.000.53gap
- Manuel AkanjiCentre-backCover: Aurèle Amenda · 0.360.53gap
- Nico ElvediCentre-backCover: Aurèle Amenda · 0.360.51gap
Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →
Match conditions
- AltitudeNear sea level4 m
- Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window19.6 °C
- Avg humidity62%
- Heat stressShade WBGT ~20.6 °CLow heat stress
- Pitch surfacenatural grass
Natural-grass NFL stadium; FIFA-standard hybrid pitch for the tournament.
Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Afternoon kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.
Top scorers · P(scores in this match)
- Akram AfifFW4.4%
- Almoez AliFW4.4%
- Ismaeel MohammadFW4.4%
- Ricardo RodriguezPKDF7.0%
- Breel EmboloFW4.5%
- Zeki AmdouniFW2.5%
Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.
Recent match form
Last match player ratings
Qatar
vs Bosnia and Herzegovina · avg 7.0
Switzerland
vs Algeria · avg 7.6
Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →
Video analysis: player performance
Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.
8Mahmud Abunada4'–45'Made numerous crucial saves to keep his team in the game, despite conceding a penalty and receiving a yellow card.
5saves1fouls1 yellow▼
Made numerous crucial saves to keep his team in the game, despite conceding a penalty and receiving a yellow card.
Match timeline
7Boualem Khoukhi41'–41'Scored a dramatic late equalizer but also received a yellow card.
1fouls1 yellow▼
Scored a dramatic late equalizer but also received a yellow card.
Match timeline
6Akram Afif1'–1'Had an early shot on target but otherwise had no significant impact.
1shots1on target▼
Had an early shot on target but otherwise had no significant impact.
Match timeline
6Ahmed AlaaeldinCame on as a substitute and had a shot that went wide.
Came on as a substitute and had a shot that went wide.
6Karim BoudiafEntered as a substitute and committed a foul.
Entered as a substitute and committed a foul.
6Pedro MiguelCommitted a foul during his time on the pitch.
Committed a foul during his time on the pitch.
6Assim MadiboCommitted a foul before being substituted.
Committed a foul before being substituted.
6Ahmed FathyCame on as a substitute without making a notable impact.
Came on as a substitute without making a notable impact.
6Yusuf AbdurisagPlayed for part of the match without making a significant impact.
Played for part of the match without making a significant impact.
6Mohamed Al-MannaiCame on as a substitute without making a notable impact.
Came on as a substitute without making a notable impact.
6Ayoub Al-OuiPlayed for part of the match without making a significant impact.
Played for part of the match without making a significant impact.
6Hassan AlhaydosCame on as a late substitute without making a notable impact.
Came on as a late substitute without making a notable impact.
5Edmilson Junior1'–42'Failed to convert two significant scoring opportunities.
2shots1on target▼
Failed to convert two significant scoring opportunities.
Match timeline
4Jassem Gaber10'–22'Received two yellow cards for fouls, leading to his dismissal.
2fouls2 yellow▼
Received two yellow cards for fouls, leading to his dismissal.
Match timeline
8Breel Embolo15'–16'Scored the opening goal from the penalty spot with composure.
2goals▼
Scored the opening goal from the penalty spot with composure.
Match timeline
7Remo Freuler13'–13'Won the penalty that led to his team's opening goal.
1fouls won▼
Won the penalty that led to his team's opening goal.
Match timeline
7Ruben VargasWas fouled twice, leading to two yellow cards for an opponent, and had several shots.
Was fouled twice, leading to two yellow cards for an opponent, and had several shots.
7Gregor Kobel1'–42'Made good saves to deny early Qatar attacks and maintain his team's lead for most of the game.
2saves▼
Made good saves to deny early Qatar attacks and maintain his team's lead for most of the game.
Match timeline
7Dan Ndoye4'–45'Created numerous attacking opportunities, forced several saves, and was fouled.
5shots3on target1fouls won▼
Created numerous attacking opportunities, forced several saves, and was fouled.
Match timeline
6Granit XhakaHad a couple of shots but did not make a decisive impact.
Had a couple of shots but did not make a decisive impact.
6Denis Zakaria20'–20'Had shots on goal but did not significantly influence the game.
1shots1on target▼
Had shots on goal but did not significantly influence the game.
Match timeline
6Silvan WidmerCame on as a late substitute without making a notable impact.
Came on as a late substitute without making a notable impact.
6Ricardo RodriguezPlayed for most of the match without making a significant impact.
Played for most of the match without making a significant impact.
6Michel Aebischer40'–40'Had a shot on target before being substituted.
1shots1on target▼
Had a shot on target before being substituted.
Match timeline
6Fabian RiederCame on as a substitute and had a shot saved.
Came on as a substitute and had a shot saved.
6Zeki AmdouniWas fouled during his time on the pitch.
Was fouled during his time on the pitch.
6Johan ManzambiCame on as a substitute, was fouled, and had a shot saved.
Came on as a substitute, was fouled, and had a shot saved.
Match observations
- The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams creating opportunities. Switzerland initially gained a lead from a penalty, but Qatar fought back to secure a late equaliser.
- Qatar's goalkeeper, Mahmoud Abunada, delivered a strong performance, making numerous saves to keep his team in contention throughout the game.
- The game saw a dramatic finish, with Qatar scoring in stoppage time to level the score, leading to jubilant celebrations from their players and fans.
▸Under the hood
Model-by-model comparison
Qatar vs Switzerland
| Model | Weight | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EloRating-based strength estimate | 32% | 0.0% | 17.0% | 83.0% |
| Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction | 63% | 6.3% | 14.0% | 79.7% |
| Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling | 6% | 7.1% | 14.4% | 78.5% |
| Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination | — | 0.0% | 6.8% | 93.2% |
| Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration | — | 2.5% | 16.4% | 81.1% |
How each model works
- Elo
- Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
- Dixon-Coles
- A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
- Hierarchical Poisson
- A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
- Bayesian stacking
- Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
- Ensemble (published)
- Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.
Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology
Probability decomposition (transparency surface)
- Baseline ensemble — P(Qatar win)8.4%
- + Lineup contribution0.0pp
- + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
- Published P(Qatar win)8.4%
Decomposition of the published P(Qatar win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.
For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.
Head-to-head history
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Result | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup | NSanta Clara | 1–1 | D | — |
| 14 Nov 2018 | Friendly | ALugano | 1–0 | W | — |
Qatar vs Switzerland, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Qatar's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).
Latest news & match context
No recent headlines for Qatar or Switzerland.
- Stage:
- Group B · Matchday 1
- Date:
- 13 Jun
Qatar
Qatar come in at close to full strength.
Switzerland
Switzerland come in at close to full strength.
Qatar and Switzerland both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.
Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.
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