Qatar unveil final World Cup squad as Team Qatar begin training in US

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June 2, 2026
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2-June-2026

Qatar unveil final World Cup squad as Team Qatar begin training in US

Doha: Goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy and defender Rayyan Al Ali were the two players omitted from the 28-man travelling squad that lost to Ireland in a friendly last week

Qatar yesterday unveiled their final 26-player squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, as coach Julen Lopetegui confirmed the players entrusted with carrying the nation's ambitions onto football's grandest stage in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The announcement, made on FIFA's squad submission deadline, represented a significant milestone in Al Annabi's preparations for what will be their second successive World Cup appearance and their first after earning qualification through merit.

In a creative social media reveal, the Qatar Football Association presented the squad through a cinematic video featuring Lopetegui walking across a desert landscape as the players' images and names emerged from the sands, symbolising Qatar's remarkable journey to the global showpiece.

Goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy of Al Shahaniya and Al Gharafa defender Rayyan Al Ali were the two players omitted from the 28-man travelling squad that lost to Ireland in a friendly last week.

The squad announcement came a day after Qatar began training in Santa Barbara, California, following their arrival in the United States. Team Qatar have established their group-stage base at Westmont College, where preparations are now intensifying ahead of their opening fixture. Training sessions will be held at Thorrington Field throughout the first phase of the tournament, with the team set to relocate only if they advance to the knockout rounds.

The 2026 World Cup marks another defining chapter in Qatar's football evolution. Four years after making their tournament debut as hosts, Team Qatar return to the world's biggest sporting event having secured qualification on merit, navigating the Asian play-offs to earn their place among football's elite.

Drawn in Group B, Qatar will begin their campaign against Switzerland at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on June 13 before facing co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18. Their group-stage journey concludes against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.

Before the tournament begins, Lopetegui's side will complete their preparations with a final warm-up fixture against El Salvador at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on June 6.