Qatar National Football Team FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad, Ranking, & Asian Cup Achievements

Qatar national football team FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad: The Qatar national football team is preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after securing their second consecutive World Cup appearance. The tournament will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June 2026. Julen Lopetegui-coached Qatar enters the competition as one of Asia’s strongest teams after winning back-to-back AFC Asian Cup titles in 2019 and 2023. Many players play together in the Qatar Stars League, so the team has strong chemistry. Qatar was playing its first World Cup as host nation in 2022, but did not advance beyond the group stage. They now want to achieve better results in the world with experienced stars like Akram Afif and Almoez Ali leading the charge.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad

The 2026 World Cup team for Qatar would be expected to comprise a combination of experienced players and young talents. This is a proposed team and not the officially chosen one that may be selected from the current qualifying matches.

Goalkeepers: Meshaal Barsham, Saad Al Sheeb, Salah Zakaria

Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Tarek Salman, Bassam Al Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Homam Ahmed, Lucas Mendes

Midfielders: Karim Boudiaf, Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Fathi, Mostafa Mashaal, Assim Madibo

Forwards: Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Ismail Mohamad, Mohammed Muntari

Akram Afif is still considered the greatest offensive player since he showed immense skills during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, while Almoez Ali is still a vital goalscoring player for Qatar.

FIFA Ranking

Qatar is currently around 55th in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. They saw a remarkable rise in their ranking after they won the AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they successfully defended their continental title. Qatar’s good performances in Asian competitions saw them move to their highest-ever FIFA ranking of 34th in 2024. Along with Japan, Iran, South Korea, and Australia, Qatar remains one of the leading Asian footballing nations, but has slipped a little in recent months.

Tournament History & Asian Cup Achievements

Qatar made their debut during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team suffered defeats in their three games at the World Cup, conceding seven goals and scoring only one goal. However, the progress of the team will be seen when they qualify to participate in the 2026 World Cup through the AFC region. Some of the most memorable moments of the Qatar football team are the victories achieved in the AFC Asian Cup. For example, the team won the first AFC Asian Cup in 2019 by defeating Japan and conceding only one goal in the whole tournament. In the following year of 2023, they were able to defend the title by defeating Jordan. 

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