Julen Lopetegui leads Qatar to their second ever World Cup
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The Qatar national team, under the guidance of Julen Lopetegui, has secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup, becoming the 24th team to clinch a spot in the tournament.
Details: To qualify, Qatar had to defeat the United Arab Emirates, and they did just that, claiming a 2-1 victory.
It was far from straightforward early on: the UAE led the group and only needed a draw. But Al Sadd defender Boualem Khoukhi became the hero of the night, opening the scoring after a pinpoint cross from Akram Afif. Soon after, another Al Sadd player, Pedro Miguel, doubled Qatar’s advantage.
This triumph saw Qatar top the group with four points, earning a direct ticket to the World Cup. For Lopetegui, it’s a significant achievement: the Spaniard took charge on May 1, 2025, becoming the fourth Spanish coach to lead the team in the past eight years.
For the record: South Africa qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2010.
