Qatar compete in Group Two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
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AFC Asian Cup winners twice (2019 and 2023)
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Best World Cup finish: Group stage in 2022
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FIFA ranking: 55
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Last World Cup appearance: 2022
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Nickname: Al-Annabi (The Burgundy)
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Top clubs: Al-Sadd, Al-Duhail, Al-Rayyan
Qualification: Having participated in the 2022 World Cup as hosts, Qatar this time earned their place through qualifying. After failing to advance from Round Three, they topped their group in Round Four ahead of the UAE and Oman.
Coach: Spaniard Julen Lopetegui — former manager of the Spanish national team and Real Madrid — took charge in May 2025, replacing compatriot Luis García, months after being sacked by West Ham. He has delivered on his assignment by guiding Qatar to World Cup qualification.
Star player: Akram Afif (29), who scored a hat-trick in the 2023 Asian Cup final against Jordan, is one of Qatar's most potent attacking weapons. The striker has scored 40 international goals and provided 50 assists, and previously played for Belgian side Eupen (part-owned by Qatar's sports investment fund, which also holds a stake in PSG), Villarreal, and Gijón. He currently plays for Al-Sadd, three-time consecutive Qatari league champions.
Ambitions: In a group featuring Canada, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar dream of recording their first ever World Cup win. At the 2022 finals, they finished without a point, losing all three matches and conceding seven goals while scoring just one.