Why did referee upgrade Homam Ahmed’s yellow card to red in Canada vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 match?
Qatar’s Homam Ahmed was shown a red card in the side’s FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Canada at the Vancouver Stadium on Thursday.
The Al-Duhail left back was initially shown a yellow card by referee Cristian Garay for a foul on Tajon Buchanan in the 33rd minute.
After intervention from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the yellow was upgraded to red and Qatar was left with ten men.
FOLLOW LIVE | Canada vs Qatar World Cup LIVE SCORE
The card was upgraded because Ahmed had committed a last-man challenge and had prevented Buchanan from converting a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
The initial penalty awarded was also overturned into a freekick after VAR deemed that the contact had begun outside the box. Canada had raced to a 2-0 lead before this phase of play thanks to goals from Cyle Larin and Jonathan David.
Published on Jun 19, 2026
