Qatar — World Cup 2026 Squad & Fixtures

Qatar's only previous World Cup came as hosts in 2022, when they lost all three matches, scored two goals, and became the first host nation eliminated after the group stage. A 2-0 loss to Ecuador in the opener set the tone, and a 3-1 defeat to Senegal followed before Mohammed Muntari's header against Senegal briefly gave Qatari fans a World Cup goal to celebrate. The 2-0 loss to the Netherlands in the final match bore out what the first two had suggested: that Qatar's preparation programme, built around training camps and friendly tournaments, had not replicated the intensity of competitive international football. The 2026 campaign under Julen Lopetegui is an attempt to build a competitive team rather than a hosting operation.

Qatar qualified through the AFC playoff pathway, a process that required advancing through rounds against regional opponents with more recent World Cup experience. Lopetegui's appointment in 2024 brought a European tactical structure to a squad that had previously relied on individual talent in wide positions. The qualifying campaign was built on organised defending and set-piece goals: Qatar conceded fewer goals than any team in their group, a pragmatic approach Lopetegui built across his coaching career. Direct qualification showed that the 2022 hosting operation had produced at least the competitive foundation for a return.

Qatar's 2026 campaign has a different context from 2022: they are not hosts, they are not favourites in any match, and they are not carrying the weight of an entire country's expectations. Group B pairs them with the Netherlands, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, three opponents with more tournament pedigree. Qatar's best chance of points comes from defensive discipline and set pieces; open-play goals against established sides will be scarce. A point from any match would be the programme's first World Cup result and a foundation to build on.

Akram Afif plays on the left wing with a directness that creates half-chances from nothing: his acceleration past full-backs and his delivery into the box give Qatar their most consistent attacking threat. Hassan Al-Haydos has been Qatar's creative midfielder across two qualifying cycles, and his passing between the lines connects transitions that would otherwise break down before reaching the final third.