Washington: Qatar's national football team completed their preparations on Thursday ahead of their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Switzerland, scheduled for Saturday at 10:00 p.m. Doha time at San Francisco Bay Arena in the United States.
The fixture marks Qatar's first outing in Group B, which also includes Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
????️ | The stands are set at San Francisco Bay Arena????
— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) June 13, 2026
for the start of our journey at the #FIFAWorldCup 2026 ????????#AlAnnabi #AllForQatar pic.twitter.com/28B7Q00FLc
The reigning Asian side held their final training session in San Francisco under the supervision of Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui, who assessed the squad's readiness as the coaching staff put the finishing touches on preparations for the team's World Cup opener.
Qatar, making their second appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals, will head into the match with a fully fit squad after all selected players participated in the final training session, which lasted less than an hour.
???? | Our fan’s march through San Francisco in support of #AlAnnabi ahead of the team’s opening #FIFAWorldCup clash against Switzerland ????????#AllForQatar pic.twitter.com/pYHoiQOGwS
— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) June 13, 2026
The team is also expected to receive strong support from Qatari fans in the stands. Around 1,000 supporters traveled from Doha to the United States via a dedicated air bridge operation conducted between June 9 and 11 to back the national team during the tournament.
In a further show of support, Qatari fans already in the United States staged a supporters' march along San Francisco's waterfront on Friday afternoon, at 4pm local time, to rally behind the players ahead of their highly anticipated clash with Switzerland.
