Qatar will travel to North America for the FIFA World Cup this summer, marking a historic milestone as the first time the Maroons have qualified for the tournament through the standard AFC qualification process.
Their only previous World Cup appearance came on home soil in 2022, where they played as the host nation.
Under the guidance of head coach Julen Lopetegui, appointed in May 2025 following the departure of Marquez Lopez, Qatar are determined to rewrite that narrative and prove their footballing development is genuine and sustainable.
The road to North America was anything but straightforward. Qatar began their qualification campaign in a group alongside Kuwait, India, and Afghanistan, advancing comfortably as group winners with 16 points from six games.
The third round proved more turbulent, with the team struggling for consistency before a crucial victory — a home win over group leaders Iran on June 5, 2025, which secured them fourth place and a passage into the fourth qualification round.
There, they drew with Oman and beat UAE 2-1 to punch their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Qatar have been drawn in Group B at the tournament, where co-hosts Canada, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also included.
Qatar 2026 World Cup fixtures
- Saturday, June 13th – Qatar vs Switzerland – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
- Thursday, June 18th – Canada vs Qatar – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
- Wednesday, June 24th – Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar – Lumen Field, Seattle, USA
What time do Qatar’s World Cup games kick off?
All kick-off times are BST.
- Qatar vs Switzerland, 8pm
- Canada vs Qatar, 11pm
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, 8pm
Qatar 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Mahmoud Abunada (Al Rayyan)
Defenders: Boualem Khoukhi (Al Sadd), Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Sultan Al Brake (Al Duhail), Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain (Al Arabi), Ayoub Al-Alawi (Al Gharafa), Issa Laye (Al Arabi), Lucas Mendes (Al Wakrah), Homam Al-Amin (Cultural Leonesa)
Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Arabi), Jassim Gaber (Al Rayyan), Assim Madibo (Al Wakrah), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Mohammed Mannai (Al Shamal)
Forwards: Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Akram Afif (Al Sadd), Tahsin Mohammed (Al Duhail), EdmÃlson Junior (Al Duhail), Ahmed Al-Ganehi (Al Gharafa), Ahmed Alaa (Al Rayyan), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al Sadd), Mohammed Muntari (Al Gharafa), Yusuf Abdurisag (Al Wakrah)
Read Also –Â The five favourites to win the 2026 World Cup
See More –Â The favourites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
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