Qatar Aims for New Dreams in FIFA World Cup

Four years after making their first participation in the FIFA World Cup on home soil, Qatar is once again preparing to fulfill a new 'dream'.

Two-time consecutive Asian champions Qatar have reached the football tournament, which will be held in North America from June 11 to July 19, directly by passing the qualification stage for the first time in history.

Having successfully passed the three stages of qualification to reach the main tournament, Qatar has been placed in Group 'B', where it will compete with Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This time, the possibility of reaching the knockout stage for the first time seems realistic for Qatar.

Qatar's coach, Julen Lopetegui, stated that the team's main goal is to play without pressure, but without abandoning ambition.

World Cup in Qatar

• Previous World Cup participations: One time
• Best performance: Group stage (2022)
• First participation: 2022 (Qatar)
• Top scorer: Mohammed Muntari (1 goal)
• Most capped players: Abdelkarim Hassan, Boualem Khoukhi, Akram Afif (3 games each)
• Most influential player: Almoez Ali
• FIFA World Ranking: 55th

What is the level of Qatar's opposing teams?

Both Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina are strong teams from Europe. Switzerland is participating in the World Cup finals for the 13th time and has reached the knockout stage in the last three World Cups.

Ranked 19th in the world, Switzerland is considered the main contender for the top spot in Group 'B' with experience of reaching the quarterfinals three times.

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranked 65th in the FIFA rankings, is below Qatar, it cannot be underestimated based on that alone. Returning to the World Cup after 12 years, Bosnia caused a major upset in the qualifying round by defeating four-time world champion Germany in a penalty shootout.

Qatar will face tough challenges against both European teams. However, two-time Asian champions Qatar can hope to pick up points against Canada, ranked 30th in the world and co-host of the tournament.

Like Qatar, Canada also failed to secure any wins in the 2022 World Cup. Their 2018 campaign was also disappointing. This is the third time Canada is playing in the World Cup, and they have not yet reached the knockout stage.

Canada had mixed performances in the friendly matches before the World Cup, winning two games and drawing two.

'We should enjoy the moment, not the pressure,' says coach Lopetegui. Before the tournament, the Spanish coach stated that qualifying for the World Cup with 48 teams based on merit was a 'great achievement' for Qatar.

This achievement is special not only for Qatar but also for Lopetegui, as he is participating in the World Cup as a coach for the first time.

Lopetegui, who was the coach of the Spanish national football team before the 2018 World Cup, was sacked just days before the tournament began after announcing he was moving to Real Madrid. Therefore, he missed the opportunity to manage Spain in the World Cup.

This year's World Cup will give the 59-year-old Lopetegui the long-awaited opportunity. But not for his own country.

'We are preparing for the big challenge of becoming competitive in the next stage of our dream,' he said.

'We should not feel pressure. We have earned our right to be there, so we should enjoy this opportunity. In my understanding, playing competitively allows for more enjoyment. The word pressure is not in our language.'

Lopetegui, who took charge of the team in May 2025, said that although Qatar is weaker than its opponents, the players are not lacking in ambition.

'Every moment of the World Cup is special,' he added.

'You analyze every country, every player, and the tournament they are playing in. You are playing against the best players in the world. So we must be ready to be competitive.

'Certainly, we are playing against better teams than us, and we must accept this reality. But accepting this does not mean we don't have the ambition to win or compete. Those are different things.'

Who are Qatar's key players?

If Qatar wants to end Canada's hopes in Vancouver, it will have to rely on its main striker, Almoez Ali. With 60 goals, he is Qatar's top scorer.

Additionally, Akram Afif, a two-time Asian Player of the Year, is the team's most creative player.

Afif played every minute for Qatar in the 2022 World Cup. Along with defender Boualem Khoukhi and Abdelkarim Hassan, he is one of the Qatari players who played the most games (three) in the World Cup.

Captain Hassan Al-Haydos is also very popular among fans. Returning from retirement in June 2025 at Lopetegui's request, he holds the record for most international appearances for Qatar with 188 games.

Qatar's team is still based on domestic players developed from the academy system that has been the foundation of success over the past decade.

Because many players come from the same development process, there is continuity and mutual understanding within the team. However, the question remains whether players based in the domestic league have enough experience and depth to consistently compete against world-class teams.

Qatar's World Cup 2026 Schedule

• June 13 – Qatar vs Switzerland – Santa Clara, California (USA)
• June 18 – Canada vs Qatar – Vancouver (Canada)
• June 24 – Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar – Inglewood, California (USA)

Qatar has a chance to reach the knockout stage, although that chance is not very high. The best opportunity to pick up points will be against Canada. If Qatar beats Canada, they will get three points, which could be enough to reach the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.

Even if Qatar draws all three games (though unlikely), they could reach the knockout stage for the first time in history.

In simple terms, if Qatar dreams of a long journey in the tournament, the match against Canada will be a must-win game.

Qatar's World Cup 2026 Squad

Goalkeepers:

Salah Zakaria, Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada

Defenders:

Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Sultan Al-Brake, Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain, Ayub Al-Oei, Issa Laye, Lucas Mendes, Homam Al-Amin

Midfielders:

Ahmed Fathy, Jassim Gaber, Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem, Karim Boudiaf, Mohammed Al-Mannai

Forwards:

Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Tahsin Mohammed Jamsid, Edmilson Junior, Ahmed Al-Ganehi, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Hassan Al-Haydos, Mohammed Muntari, Yusuf Abdurisag