Team Qatar to Conclude World Cup Preparations with Friendly Against El Salvador

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June 5, 2026
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5-June-2026

Team Qatar to Conclude World Cup Preparations with Friendly Against El Salvador

Doha: Team Qatar will play their final warm-up match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they face El Salvador on Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, United States.

The national team are currently continuing preparations in Santa Barbara as part of their final training camp before the tournament, aiming to reach peak readiness. Qatar previously faced Ireland in a friendly match in Dublin on May 28, suffering a narrow 1–0 defeat.

The match against El Salvador will provide an important final test before Qatar begin their World Cup campaign against Switzerland on June 13 in San Francisco. They will then face Canada on June 18 in Vancouver before concluding their Group B matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.

Head coach Julen Lopetegui has already announced his final 26-player squad for the tournament, featuring a blend of experienced internationals and emerging talents. The squad includes Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abu Nada, Salah Zakaria, Ahmed Al Janahi, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Edmilson Junior, Ahmed Fathi, Ahmed Alaa, Tahseen Mohammed, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Ayoub Al Alawi, Al Hashemi Al Hussein, Assim Madibo, Sultan Al Brake, Hassan Al Haydos, Jassem Jaber, Mohammed Manei, Lucas Mendes, Karim Boudiaf, Issa Lai, Abdulaziz Hatem, Yousef Abdurisag, Homam Al Amin, and Mohammed Muntari.

The final friendly is expected to help Lopetegui settle on the starting lineup he will rely on during the World Cup, particularly after giving opportunities to several players during the Ireland match. The Spanish coach has included 12 players who are set to make their World Cup debut.

Qatar, champions of the last two AFC Asian Cups in 2019 and 2023, will be looking to build momentum and gain valuable technical and psychological benefits from the El Salvador match ahead of their historic first World Cup appearance through qualification.

After their group-stage exit at Qatar 2022, Team Qatar will be aiming to go a step further this time and challenge for one of the qualification spots to the knockout rounds.