Qatar’s football team began the year on a high note, retaining their AFC Asian Cup title at home. At one point this year, they enjoyed an 11-match unbeaten run, climbing to their highest-ever 34th spot in the FIFA rankings in April. Qatar also had an almost-perfect campaign in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers, topping their group with an unbeaten record.
However, things took a turn for the two-time Asian champions in the third and crucial round of the Qualifiers, where they’ve had a sluggish start. They now find themselves in fourth place in Group A after collecting four points—level with the UAE—from four matches.
The third round features 18 teams divided into three groups, all battling for World Cup berths. The group winners and runners-up will earn automatic spots at the global showpiece. Qatar suffered an early setback, losing to the UAE in their opening match, before being held to a draw by North Korea. Their only win so far came against debutants Kyrgyzstan, with Iran defeating them in their last match. Iran and Uzbekistan currently lead the group with 10 points each, and both sides are on track for qualification for this group. However, with six matches left, Qatar still have a chance, though they will need a strong comeback.
Next, they face a formidable Uzbekistan side in Doha on November 14, followed by an away match against the UAE in Al Ain five days later. Al Annabi must secure maximum points from these two games to revive their qualification hopes. Head coach Marquez Lopez remains hopeful, expressing confidence in his team’s ability to turn things around. “Our goal of qualifying for the World Cup hasn’t changed. The opportunity is still there, despite having strong teams like Uzbekistan and Iran in the group. We have to fight for our chances until the end,” he said after the defeat against Iran.
Teams that fail to qualify directly from this round but finish third or fourth in their groups - six in total - will still have a chance to secure their World Cup spots. These teams will form two groups of three, with the winners securing direct qualification.
The runners-up will then face each other in a home-and-away tie for a shot at the Intercontinental Playoff and the final available berth. But Qatar will hope to avoid this scenario and aim for success in this round, and they have the ability to make it happen. The 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States will feature a total of 48 teams for the very first time.
