Updated: 2026-06-19 | Real-time information is subject to official announcements
Qatar, nicknamed “Al Annabi” (the Maroon), is a West Asian football power from the Persian Gulf. Having won back-to-back AFC Asian Cup titles in 2019 and 2023, Qatar is the reigning power in Asian football today. Qatar first stepped onto the World Cup stage as hosts in 2022, and 2026 marks the team’s second appearance, and the first time qualifying through competitive matches. The squad is coached this tournament by Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui, who guided the team to a 2-1 win over the UAE at home on October 14, 2025, finishing first in Group A of the fourth round of AFC qualifying (the playoff round) to secure a World Cup berth.
Star Players
Qatar’s attacking core is led by two standout players. Winger Akram Afif (of Al Sadd SC) is the team’s primary creative force, contributing 4 goals and 11 assists during qualifying; striker Almoez Ali (of Al Duhail SC) is the program’s all-time top scorer and won the Golden Boot for Asian World Cup qualifying with 12 goals. In midfield and defense, veteran captain Hassan Al-Haydos (of Al Sadd SC) is the team’s all-time appearance record holder, bringing plenty of experience; goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham (of Al Sadd SC) won the Golden Glove during Qatar’s 2023 Asian Cup title run; and defender Boualem Khoukhi anchors the back line.
2026 World Cup Group Stage (Group B)
Qatar was drawn into Group B alongside hosts Canada, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the first two matches, Qatar had 1 draw and 1 loss, sitting bottom of the group, with the June 24 finale against Bosnia deciding whether the team could claim its first win.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Score/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | Switzerland | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara) | 1–1 draw |
| June 18 | Canada | BC Place (Vancouver) | 0–6 loss |
| June 24 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lumen Field (Seattle) | 1–3 loss (Al Haydos pulled one back in the 42nd minute, still fell to Bosnia) |
After the group stage concluded: Qatar finished bottom of Group B, unable to win any of its three matches, eliminated at the group stage without advancing to the Round of 32.
Final Group B standings: Canada and Switzerland finished first and second, advancing directly; Bosnia rode the “best third-place” route through to the Round of 32 as well; Qatar was the only team in the group to be eliminated at the group stage, finishing bottom with 1 point.
On the program’s all-time best World Cup result: across both of Qatar’s appearances (2022 as hosts, 2026), the team has never progressed past the group stage. As hosts in 2022, Qatar lost all three matches (to Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands), conceding 7 goals while scoring just 1, becoming the first host nation in World Cup history to lose all three group matches. This tournament, having qualified on merit through competitive matches, the team again finished bottom of the group at the group stage, still without a World Cup finals win in program history; in terms of overall footballing achievement, back-to-back Asian Cup titles (2019, 2023) remain Qatar’s most glittering accomplishment.
Summing up this tournament: after 1 draw and 1 loss in its first two matches — including a heavy 6-goal defeat to Canada — Qatar ultimately failed to win any of its three group matches and was eliminated early. For the Maroon, gaining major-tournament experience and testing the Asian Cup power’s competitiveness on the world stage was a reasonably practical takeaway from this tournament, with the program’s first-ever World Cup win still to be pursued next time around.
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