Qatar players during a training session.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar yesterday announced a 34-man preliminary squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with head coach Julen Lopetegui (pictured) opting for a blend of youth and experience as the two-time Asian champions enter the final phase of preparations for football’s global showpiece.
The squad features 19-year-old Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, the youngest player in the group, alongside 42-year-old veteran Sebastian Soria, the oldest, underlining Lopetegui’s balance between emerging talent and proven experience ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The players will begin preparations with a training camp in Doha before travelling to North America, where Lopetegui will trim the squad to between 23 and 26 players ahead of FIFA’s June 1 deadline for final submissions.
Besides Tahsin, the provisional squad includes promising Al Gharafa talent Rayyan Al Ali, 20, and Ayoub Al Oui, who was named the Qatar Football Association’s Best Under-23 Player on Monday. However, Al Arabi goalkeeper Jasim Al-Hail and Al Rayyan forward Khalid Ali, both included in the March training camp squad, were left out this time.
Al Gharafa striker Mohammed Muntari also earned a call-up despite limited appearances at club level during the recently concluded domestic season. Veteran Hassan Al Haydos features among the attacking options alongside star playmaker Akram Afif and fit-again striker Almoez Ali.
At the back, Qatar SC defender and former Aston Villa player Niall Mason joins experienced campaigners Lucas Mendes and Pedro Miguel, while the goalkeeping department comprises Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham, Salah Zakaria and Shehab Ellethy.
Qatar will be hoping for a stronger showing than at their debut World Cup appearance on home soil in 2022, when Felix Sanchez’s side suffered a first-round exit after losing all three group matches.
“We did not perform at the required level, and we will try our best to prove that we deserve to be at the World Cup with a strong performance,” Akram Afif said on Monday after receiving the QFA Best Player award.
Qatar will intensify preparations later this month with a training camp featuring warm-up matches against the Republic of Ireland on May 28 and El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6 as Lopetegui fine-tunes his plans before the tournament.
Al Annabi will begin their World Cup campaign against Switzerland in Santa Clara on June 13 before facing co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 19 and concluding their Group-stage fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.
Lopetegui said Qatar would have sufficient time to prepare following the conclusion of the domestic season with the Amir Cup final, while stressing the importance of maintaining full fitness ahead of the tournament. The Spaniard expressed hope the squad would remain injury-free and reach the World Cup in peak physical and mental condition. “If you want to compete in the World Cup, you must be ready,” he said on the sidelines of the Asian Cup 2027 draw in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Qatar’s preliminary squad
Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham, Salah Zakaria, Shehab Ellethy (goalkeepers); Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Al Janehi, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Ahmed Fathy, Akram Afif, Alhashmi Alhussain, Almoez Ali, Assim Madibo, Ayoub Al Oui, Boualem Khoukhi, Bassam Al Rawi, Emilson Junior, Hassan Al Haydos, Homam Al Amin, Issa Laye, Jassim Gaber, Karim Boudiaf, Lucas Mendis, Mohammed Mannai, Mohammed Muntari, Mohammed Waad, Mubarak Shanan, Niall Mason, Pedro Miguel, Rayyan Al Ali, Sebastian Soria, Sultan Al Brake, Tahsin Mohammed, Tarek Salman, Yusuf Abdurisag
