Abdelkarim Hassan, the Al Wakrah full-back, is making his return to Qatar’s national football team. After stints at Al Jahra SC in Kuwait and Persepolis FC in Iran, he has been called up by coach Bartolome ‘Tintin’ Marquez Lopez for the World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Kyrgyzstan and Iran.
Hassan, who was named the 2018 AFC Player of the Year, returns to the national squad for the first time since the FIFA World Cup 2022. He faced an indefinite suspension from the Qatar Football Association (QFA) in January 2023 due to disciplinary issues, which included a 50 percent salary deduction and a fine of QAR 200,000. The QFA has not revealed specific details about the violations, but Hassan had already made 121 appearances for the national team before his suspension, establishing himself as a key defensive player since his debut in 2010.
The 31-year-old defender’s issues were compounded by his departure from former club Al Sadd after a controversial Snapchat exchange with a fan that was made public. His move to Al Jahra SC triggered further tension with Al Sadd, leading to potential legal disputes, but a resolution was eventually reached.
Now back in form with Al Wakrah, his inclusion in the national squad suggests a positive turnaround in his relationship with the QFA. Alongside him, veteran defender Boualem Khoukhi has also been named in the 27-man squad.
With injuries sidelining key defenders, including Homam Ahmed, Pedro Miguel, and Abdullah Al-Yazidi, Marquez Lopez has had to adjust his defensive lineup significantly. The experienced midfield duo of Assim Madibo and Karim Boudiaf will also not feature in the squad.
Qatar’s upcoming qualifiers include a home match against Kyrgyzstan at the Al Thumama Stadium on October 10, followed by a challenging away game in Iran on October 15. Qatar’s national team, the reigning Asian champions, is looking to recover from a rocky start to the qualifiers, having lost 3-1 to the UAE and drawn 2-2 against North Korea.
Qatar’s 27-man squad
Goalkeepers
- Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd)
- Marwan Sherif (Al Ahli)
- Saad Al Sheeb (Al Sadd)
- Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail)
Defenders
- Bassam Al-Rawi (Al Duhail)
- Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah)
- Abdelkarim Hassan (Al Wakrah)
- Mohammed Aiash (Al Duhail)
- Almahdi Ali (Al Wakrah)
- Tarek Salman (Al Sadd)
- Boualem Khoukhi (Al Sadd)
- Sultan Al-Brake (Al Duhail)
Midfielders
- Naif Al-Hadhrami (Al Shahnia)
- Edmilson Junior (Al Duhail)
- Mohammed Waad (Al Sadd)
- Abdelrahman Moustafa (Al Ahli)
- Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan)
- Ahmed Fathy (Al Arabi)
- Jassim Jaber (Al Arabi)
- Ibrahim Al-Hassan (Calahorra)
Forwards
- Akram Afif (Al Sadd)
- Almoez Ali (Al Duhail)
- Ismaeel Mohammed (Al Duhail)
- Ahmed Alaa (Al Arabi)
- Yusuf Abdurisag (Al Sadd)
