Barcelona hosted the Games of the XXV Olympiad from 25 July to 9 August 1992, a landmark edition widely seen as a turning point for both the host city and the Olympic movement. It was the first Summer Games in two decades held without a major boycott, and it welcomed South Africa back after the end of apartheid-era exclusion.

The twelve former Soviet republics competed as a Unified Team, while a newly reunified Germany competed as one nation. About 9,400 athletes from 169 delegations competed across 25 sports. The Games are remembered for the United States basketball 'Dream Team' and for a spectacular opening ceremony. Barcelona 1992 was historic for Qatar: middle-distance runner Mohammed Suleiman won bronze in the men's 1500 metres, claiming the nation's first-ever Olympic medal.

Qatar's delegation of 28 athletes was among its larger teams of the era, competing across athletics and other disciplines. Suleiman's podium finish was a milestone for Qatari and Gulf athletics and remained the country's sole Olympic medal until Sydney 2000. The result gave a major boost to the profile of Olympic sport in Qatar and encouraged continued investment in the years that followed.