Julen Lopetegui’s side will go to the October play-offs with renewed hopes of sealing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Following a rather disappointing third round of Asian Qualifiers, Qatar will now shift their focus entirely to the October play-offs, eyeing a spot in FIFA World Cup 2026.
Al Annabi’s campaign concluded on Tuesday with a 3-0 away loss against Uzbekistan, a side that had already punched their tickets to the premier competition in North America next year.
The loss saw Qatar finish fourth in Group A, two points below the United Arab Emirates and just enough to secure a spot in the fourth round, where two spots for the Mundial will be up for grabs.
The likes of Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia — the third and fourth-placed teams in other groups — will join Qatar and UAE in the contention for the last assured spots for the continent. The draw, scheduled for July 17, will divide the teams into two groups of three. Topping the group will see Qatar qualify for the World Cup on merit for the first time.
Under new head coach Julen Lopetegui’s tutelage, the reigning Asian champions will be expected to do just that. But the Spaniard knows it is now as straightforward.
“We know that we’re taking over at a difficult time, and we know we’re going to have to pull off something spectacular to qualify for the World Cup,” Lopetegui, who took charge officially in May, said in an interview with FIFA+.
“We’ll do everything in our power to give ourselves another shot at qualification in October, which is when the fourth round takes place in Asia. We need to give it our absolute all to give ourselves another chance of qualifying.”
End of a tumultuous round
As inconsequential as the result was on the overall equation of the qualifying group, the result was, in many ways, emblematic of what has been Qatar’s story in the entire round.
The side went to Tashkent following a gritty 1-0 win against already-qualified Iran, who finished the game with a man down in Doha. In a campaign marred with heavy and at times shocking defeats, the win confirmed Qatar’s spot in the fourth round of play-offs.
The campaign, however, ended just as it started. In a rather unlikely turn of events, Qatar suffered a 3-1 defeat against the UAE, stumbling in their first game. It then not only rained but also poured for Qatar, prompting two managerial changes leading ultimately to Lopetegui.
Heavy defeats against Iran and Kyrgyzstan followed, the nadir being a 5-0 drubbing against the UAE in November. As a result, none of the five international windows brought all six points for the Asian champions.
On the flipside, there were some glimmers of what was expected of Qatar. Far from perfect, a 3-2 win against Uzbekistan in November could have proved to be climacteric. Qatar were the only team to beat both Iran and Uzbekistan, sides that went on to secure direct qualification from Group A.
Qatar will have to channel that and, more importantly, stay consistent in their three matches if they are to qualify in October itself. Finishing second in their group will still keep their hopes alive via the intercontinental play-offs, but it will only get tougher.
The weight of history
Not only will Qatar have to outperform their recent selves, but they will also have to shrug off their records in World Cup qualifying.
Despite experiencing stellar stints regionally and on the continent lately, some of the national team’s nervy moments have come en route to securing a spot at the premier competition.
Group toppers in the first round, Qatar missed out on the 1990 World Cup by a single point. Instead, the UAE made their debut at the expense of their neighbours, finishing second below South Korea.
Similar was the case for the 1998 World Cup under Bosnian coach Jamal Haji. A win against Saudi Arabia in the ultimate fixture at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium would have sealed a spot in the tournament in France. Instead, Al Annabi lost 1-0 to Ibrahim Al-Shahrani’s goal, and the Saudis made it to the World Cup.
They were a win away from the cusp of intercontinental play-off for the 2002 tournament too and other qualification campaigns have also marked clear underperformances.
While many will consider such records to be a hurdle, Lopetegui believes it could be the extra push that his side might need to finally get over the finish line and live up to the expectation.
After all, it was what the former Spain and Real Madrid boss was hired for, and he has repeatedly insisted on taking it step by step to secure the ticket to next year’s competition.
“The prospect of playing at the World Cup is what spurs us on,” Lopetegui said in the FIFA+ interview.
“Qatar has never qualified for a World Cup through the qualifiers before, and it’s a dream we’re determined to fight for. It’s within touching distance.”
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