Qatar team profile - FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on Qatar.
FIFA World Ranking: 55
Confederation: AFC
Who is Qatar’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Qatar’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Julen Lopetegui. He has been in charge of the national team since May 2025, his first international job since leading Spain across 2016-2018.
Who is Qatar’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Qatar’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Hassan Al-Haydos, the current record appearance holder for his country with over 180 caps.
How many times have Qatar participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
1 – 2022
What is Qatar’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Group Stage – 2022 (Qatar are yet to avoid defeat in a FIFA World Cup fixture, having lost all three of their games played in the 2022 tournament.)
How did Qatar qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Qatar qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 after finishing top of their group in the fourth round of AFC qualifying. After having entered the qualifiers in round two, Qatar went through three consecutive group stages and 18 matches in their successful quest to reach back-to-back World Cups.
Round two saw 36 nations placed into nine groups of four with the top two in each group going through to round three. Qatar topped Group A, picking up 16 points of a possible 18 against Kuwait, India and Afghanistan. Those successful 18 teams were then divided into three groups of six in round three with the first and second-placed finishers in those groups qualifying automatically for FIFA World Cup 2026.
However, the Maroons finished fourth-place in Group A, meaning they had to go through the fourth round which took place in October, 2025. Placed into one of two groups alongside United Arab Emirates and Oman, Julen Lopetegui’s side picked up four points across their two games against both teams, enough to see them top that group.
Confirmation of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification came on October 14, 2025 after a 2-1 victory against United Arab Emirates secured their first-place finish. Goals from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel proved enough for Qatar, who held on despite a late consolation.
Who are Qatar’s star players?
Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail) starred for the Maroons during each round of their AFC qualification campaign, finishing as top scorer across the entirety of AFC qualifying with 12 goals, beating the likes of IR Iran’s Mehdi Taremi and Son Heung-min of Korea Republic. Qatar scored just once at FIFA World Cup 2022 and they’ll be hoping that Ali’s eye for goal sees them improve on that this time around.
Experienced centre-back Boualem Khoukhi (Al Sadd) played every minute of Qatar’s last FIFA World Cup campaign and is still a pillar of their backline. He is also capable of popping up with key goals, having scored the opener in the Maroons’ 2-1 win over United Arab Emirates which sealed their FIFA World Cup 2026 spot.
Who is in Qatar’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Qatar are in Group B, which consists of the following teams:
Canada
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Qatar
Switzerland
Qatar’s Group B fixtures are as follows:
Qatar vs Switzerland: Saturday June 13, 2026 – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm UK
Canada vs Qatar: Thursday June 18, 2026 – 10:00am ET, 3:00pm UK
Qatar vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: Wednesday June 24, 2026 – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm UK
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is Qatar’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Westmont College – Santa Barbara, California
Expert prediction for Qatar’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
Whilst Qatar head into FIFA World Cup 2026 with a head coach who has an extremely impressive CV, former Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui faces arguably his toughest challenge yet. Qatar lack experience at this level of international football and looked out of their depth four years ago at a home World Cup.
Lopetegui has put his stamp on this squad, getting the best out of players such as Almoez Ali and they should prove more competitive, certainly from an attacking point of view. However, it’s hard to see their backline being able to cope with the offensive quality of opponents such as Switzerland and Canada. Qatar have also been dealt their toughest fixture on paper first up, meaning that there is certainly no chance of Switzerland resting any key players.
Defeat at the hands of the Swiss may see heads drop within the Maroons squad and fatigue will likely become an issue as the group stage goes on, especially with Qatar likely spending the majority of their matches out of possession, chasing and pressing the opposition. Despite the presence of Lopetegui, another fourth-place finish in the group stage at FIFA World Cup 2026 appears on the cards for Qatar.
What round will Qatar reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Group Stage
