Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association has announced a preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the Gulf nation prepares for the tournament to be staged in North America from June 11 to July 19.
The 34-player squad, selected by Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui, combines experienced international players with a number of younger talents as Qatar look to build on their recent appearances on the global stage.
Among the most prominent names included are captain Hassan Al Haydos, forward Akram Afif, striker Almoez Ali and defender Pedro Miguel.
The full squad also includes Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abu Nada, Salah Zakaria, Shehab Al Laithi, Ahmed Al Janahi, Ahmed Alaa, Ahmed Fathi, Tarek Salman, Edmilson Junior, Ayoub Al Lawati, Sultan Al Brake, Al Hashmi Al Hussein, Boualem Khoukhi, Bassam Al Rawi, Jassim Jaber, Nail Mason, Sebastian Soria, Ryan Al Ali, Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem, Issa Laay, Mohammed Manai, Karim Boudiaf, Lucas Mendes, Tahseen Mohammed, Mubarak Shanan, Homam Al Amin, Youssef Abdurisag, Mohammed Muntari and Mohammed Waad.
Qatar are scheduled to hold a training camp later this month, which will include two friendly matches aimed at fine-tuning preparations ahead of the tournament. They will face Republic of Ireland on May 28 before taking on El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6.
The Qataris will begin their World Cup campaign against Switzerland in San Francisco on June 13 before facing hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18 and concluding their group-stage fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.
The 2026 tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams and to be jointly hosted by three countries - the United States, Canada and Mexico.
