Doha, May 26 (QNA) - Julen Lopetegui, the Spanish head coach of the Qatar football team, has announced a 28-player roster for an upcoming friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. The match will take place on Thursday in Dublin as part of Qatar's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The Qatari squad traveling to Ireland includes: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada, Salah Zakaria, Shehab Ellethy, Ahmed Al Ganehi, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Edmilson Junior, Ahmed Fatehi, Ahmed Alaa, Tahsin Mohammed, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Ayoub Al Alawi, Al Hashemi Al Hussein, Assim Madibo, Sultan Al Brake, Rayan Al Ali, Hassan Al-Haydos, Jassem Gaber, Mohammed Al Manai, Lucas Mendes, Karim Boudiaf, Eissa Lae, Abdulaziz Hatem, Yusuf Abdurisag, Homam Ahmed and Mohammed Muntari.
Seven players were cut from the preliminary squad following a technical evaluation by the coaching staff: Sebastian Soria, Tarek Salman, Fahad Younis, Bassam Al Rawi, Mohammed Waad, Mubarak Shanan and Naile Mason.
This will be Qatar's second appearance at a World Cup, following its debut as the host nation in 2022. For the 2026 tournament, Qatar has been drawn into Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (QNA)