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Doha, October 15 (QNA) - Qatar's national football team has booked its spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in the final match of the AFC qualification playoff. The result ensured Qatar topped Group A and earned direct qualification for its second consecutive World Cup appearance.
The road to qualification was anything but smooth for Al Annabi, but under the guidance of Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, the team managed to overturn early setbacks and deliver a historic achievement - qualifying through the standard Asian qualifiers for the first time, after appearing in the 2022 edition as hosts.
Ranked 53rd in the world, Qatar began its campaign strongly by finishing first in its group in the second round of qualifiers with 16 points, with an unbeaten run that also secured its place in the AFC Asian Cup. The reigning two-time Asian champions played six matches in that stage, winning five and drawing once.
Their campaign began with a dominant 8-1 win over Afghanistan in Doha, followed by a 3-0 victory against India in Bhubaneswar. Qatar then defeated Kuwait 3-0 at home and 2-1 away. A goalless draw against Afghanistan in Saudi Arabia was followed by a 2-1 win over India in Doha.
Qatar scored 18 goals and conceded only three during the second round, finishing with 13 points, six ahead of second-place Kuwait (7 points), followed by India and Afghanistan with 5 points each (India ahead on goal difference).
Qatar began the qualification campaign under Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who took charge in February 2023. He was replaced in December the same year by Spaniard Marquez Lopez, who led the team in three joint qualifiers, winning both legs against Kuwait, drawing with Afghanistan, and beating India. However, poor performances in the second round, losing to the UAE (1-3) and Iran (1-4), and drawing with North Korea (2-2), meant López was dismissed after managing just one win (3-1 against Kyrgyzstan).
His compatriot Luis Garcia briefly took over, leading Qatar to a 3-2 win against Uzbekistan and a 5-1 victory over North Korea, but heavy defeats followed with a 5-0 loss to the UAE and a 3-1 defeat to Kyrgyzstan.
Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui took charge of the Qatari national team and led them to the fourth stage, the continental playoff, following a 1–0 victory over Iran, before suffering a 3–0 defeat to Uzbekistan.
In the third round, Qatar finished fourth in Group A, collecting 13 points from 10 matches, with four wins, one draw, and five losses. The team scored 17 goals and conceded 24.
Qatar trailed behind Iran (23 points), Uzbekistan (21 points), and the UAE (15 points), while Kyrgyzstan placed fifth with 8 points and North Korea sixth with 3 points.
In the continental playoff, Qatar drew 0–0 with Oman before defeating the UAE 2–1. Akram Afif and his teammates earned four points to top the group, making Qatar the sixth Arab nation to qualify for the World Cup. Meanwhile, the UAE must face Iraq, runner-up of Group B, in a two-legged playoff in Abu Dhabi and Basra to determine who advances to the intercontinental playoff.
Across all three qualifying stages, Qatar played 18 matches, winning 10, drawing 3, and losing 5. The team scored 37 goals, an average of 2.5 per match, and conceded 28.
Qatari striker Almoez Ali topped the scoring charts with 12 goals, two ahead of South Korea's Son Heung-min. Iran's Mehdi Taremi and Jordan's Ali Alwan shared third place with 9 goals each.
Five players scored 8 goals apiece: Sardar Azmoun (Iran), Ayase Ueda (Japan), Fabio Lima (UAE), Ayman Hussein (Iraq), and Yazan Al Naimat (Jordan).
The Asian qualifiers featured 224 matches, with 169 wins and 55 draws. A total of 628 goals were scored, averaging 2.8 goals per match. Seventy-two penalties were awarded, of which 55 were converted and 17 missed.
Qatar first participated in World Cup qualifiers in 1978, held in Argentina, and has since appeared in 11 qualifying campaigns before securing this second appearance. (QNA)
