Fifa is under significant pressure to release semi-automated offside footage following a controversial penalty incident at the World Cup in Santa Clara.
The flashpoint occurred during Saturday’s Group B match between Switzerland and Qatar, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Switzerland’s Remo Freuler was brought down by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, leading to a penalty that Breel Embolo converted.
The central question is whether Freuler was in an offside position before the foul was committed, a question that remains publicly unanswered.
Fifa had placed considerable emphasis on its new enhanced semi-automated offside system ahead of the tournament, scanning every player to create unique, lifelike avatars.
The technology was designed to provide the most accurate and transparent illustration of offside decisions ever seen at a major international tournament.
Yet despite that promise of clarity, no animation or visual evidence has been released to support the decision to award the penalty.
Gary Neville was vocal in his criticism while commentating for ITV, expressing what he described as a widely shared view among viewers and pundits.
“We all think it here [that it was offside],” Neville said. “Everybody at home thinks it. Fifa are the host broadcaster and they have the semi-automatic decision that they can show us.”
Neville went further, stating: “There is a massive question over that because it is offside in my eyes until they prove to me different.”
The delay in releasing the footage has only deepened suspicion, with the absence of information creating a vacuum that fuels speculation about what the evidence actually shows.
Earlier in the tournament, Fifa had shown the semi-automated animation even in cases where VAR had not intervened, such as when Canada striker Tani Oluwaseyi was flagged offside before Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj clattered into him on Friday.
The system also produced quick graphics for Morocco goalscorer Ismael Saibari’s effort against Brazil in Saturday’s later match, despite there being little genuine doubt over the decision.
The offside technology uses an audio alert to notify an assistant referee when a player is more than 10cm offside, removing the need for a delayed flag in obvious cases.
However, this particular incident appeared to fall within that 10cm threshold, making it a tight and contested call where supporting evidence is most needed.
BBC Sport attempted to seek clarification from Fifa on the situation but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Neville reserved some of his sharpest words for Fifa’s handling of the matter, drawing a stark comparison. “It’s like a dictatorship, this,” he said. “The idea that they hold this evidence internally and don’t show fans of countries who are playing in tournaments is absolutely ridiculous.”
“To not show the evidence of an offside – prove to us that it’s offside! Show it straight away. Why not have transparency?” Neville added.
In domestic leagues that use semi-automated offside technology, officials retain the option of reverting to traditional line-drawing if the advanced system fails due to factors like crowded areas or even ticker tape on the pitch.
That fallback ensures supporters always receive some form of visual evidence, a standard that has not yet been met in this World Cup controversy.
