Four years on from a chastening home tournament, Qatar return to the World Cup on very different terms. In 2022 they arrived as hosts and left as the first host nation ever to lose all three group games. In 2026 they arrive as a team that earned its place, beating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in Doha to win their Asian qualifying group on merit for the first time. Now coached by former Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui, the two-time Asian champions still build around Asian Cup magician Akram Afif, record scorer Almoez Ali and captain Hassan Al-Haydos. Drawn into a balanced Group B with co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is the squad, the story, the fixtures, and the hunt for a first ever World Cup point.
Qatar's golden generation is a little older now, but the players who delivered two Asian titles are still the heartbeat of the team. These are the names the campaign turns on.
The magician. The Al-Sadd winger was named Player of the Tournament at both the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups, and his two set-piece deliveries against the UAE created the goals that sent Qatar to the World Cup. Qatar's biggest match-winner.
The goal machine. The Al-Duhail striker is Qatar's all-time leading scorer and was the golden boot winner at the 2019 Asian Cup. He led the line through qualifying and is the focal point of the attack.
The leader. The Al-Sadd forward is Qatar's most-capped player and the captain, a constant of the national team for more than a decade. His experience and calm are vital on the biggest stage.
The warrior. The versatile Al-Sadd defender can also operate in midfield, and his header opened the scoring in the decisive win over the UAE. A reliable big-game performer at the back.
The keeper. The Al-Sadd goalkeeper is Qatar's first choice between the posts, an agile shot-stopper who will need to be at his best against the firepower of Group B. The team's defensive anchor.
The architect. The Spaniard who has managed Spain, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolves and West Ham took the Qatar job in 2025 and steered the team through the decisive qualifying matches. A serious pedigree on the touchline.
Lopetegui's squad is built overwhelmingly on the Qatar Stars League, with Al-Sadd and Al-Duhail supplying the core, and a small handful of players testing themselves abroad. Below is the full squad by position; club listings can shift over the summer window.
The shape of the squad tells the story of Qatari football: a deep, settled domestic core honed together at club level, with Akram Afif and Almoez Ali as the difference-makers and a sprinkling of naturalised talent. Whether one Europe-based player can grow into more is a question for the future, but the spine that won two Asian Cups is intact. Club listings can change over the summer window.
Three threads define Qatar's 2026 campaign: redemption after 2022, a first qualification on merit, and a hunt for a first World Cup point.
The redemption. As 2022 hosts, Qatar lost all three games and exited without a point, the worst host record in World Cup history. 2026 is the chance to show the football, not just the stadiums, belongs on this stage.
The breakthrough. In the AFC fourth round, group winners went straight to the World Cup. Qatar beat the UAE 2-1 in Doha, holding on with ten men, to top the group and qualify on merit for the very first time.
The goal. Qatar have never taken a point at a World Cup. In an open Group B with no giant, a first ever win or draw, against Bosnia or Canada, would already make 2026 a success.
Qatar were drawn into Group B with co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Switzerland are the seeded side and knockout regulars, Canada have home advantage, and Bosnia arrived via a dramatic playoff, but there is no overwhelming favourite, which gives Qatar something to aim at. Their three matches take them right across the western United States and into Canada.
A tough opener against Switzerland is followed by the daunting trip to face co-hosts Canada in Vancouver, before a final-day meeting with Bosnia that could decide who finishes where. For the full picture of all 104 games, see the WorldCuply.com match schedule, and read our guides to Group B rivals Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Qatar are outsiders, but an open group and the expanded format give them a real target:
Realistically, the round of 32 would be a remarkable achievement. But after the pain of 2022, the first target is simpler and just as meaningful: a first World Cup point, and then a first World Cup win. With Afif and Almoez Ali in the side, neither is out of reach.
Qatar are one of 48 nations heading to the 2026 World Cup. Explore the rest of the WorldCuply.com guide:
Qatar's Group B opponents and co-hosts, Alphonso Davies and a home World Cup.
Read the Canada guide ›Qatar's Group B rivals, the knockout regulars and the group's seeds.
Read the Switzerland guide ›Qatar's final Group B opponents, Edin Dzeko and the playoff conquerors of Italy.
Read the Bosnia guide ›All 104 fixtures across 16 host cities, with kickoff times you can filter to Qatar.
Open the schedule ›This guide was hand-written from the following reporting and reference pages, used to confirm Qatar's squad, coach, qualification, group and fixtures:
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