Qatar are unique in almost every sense as a footballing nation, and 2026 is a very different chapter from their home World Cup four years ago.
In 2022, Qatar were handed automatic qualification as hosts and went on to become the first host nation ever to lose all three group stage games, being eliminated without scoring more than one goal in any match.
This time around, they had to earn their place the hard way.
Qatar qualified through the AFC qualifying process on merit for the first time in their history, securing their spot with a 2-1 victory over the UAE on October 14, 2025 — a genuinely historic moment for the country and its football programme.
They have also changed their manager, bringing in Spanish World Cup winner Julen Lopetegui, who won the tournament as a player in 1994 and brings a level of top-level European coaching experience that Qatar have never had before.
They are drawn in Group B alongside Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Nobody expects them to win the World Cup, but nobody expected them to qualify for it on merit either.
Here are the 10 best soccer players in Qatar at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
1. Akram Afif — Forward
Position: Forward
Age: 29 | Club: Al-Sadd
Qatar’s best player and arguably the best footballer ever produced by the country.
Afif claimed a record sixth Player of the Season award at the Qatar Football Association Awards in 2026, his third straight triumph, following another stellar campaign that saw Al-Sadd lift the league title and Qatar secure World Cup qualification.
In the 2025/26 Qatar Stars League season he recorded 12 goals and 12 assists, averaging a FotMob rating of 8.3 across the campaign.
During World Cup qualifying he provided an incredible 11 assists in 16 matches, more than any player across the entire AFC.
He won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award at both the 2019 and 2023 AFC Asian Cups, making him the only player ever to win the award twice.
He is pace, technique, and vision in one player, and he is capable of operating across the entire front line.
After a deeply disappointing 2022 World Cup, this is his chance to show the world what he can do on the biggest stage.
2. Almoez Ali — Forward
Position: Striker
Age: 29 | Club: Al-Duhail
Qatar’s all-time leading goalscorer with 55 international goals in 115 caps, which is a staggering record for a player from a nation of Qatar’s footballing pedigree.
Almoez Ali is a physically powerful and technically sharp centre-forward who has been the focal point of Qatar’s attack for years.
He scored nine goals in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Qatar participated as a guest, and four goals at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, cementing himself as the most prolific goalscorer his country has ever seen.
He will be 29 at this World Cup and arrives in the best form of his career.
If Qatar are to cause any upsets in Group B, Ali will be the man delivering the moments that make them possible.
3. Hassan Al-Haydos — Forward (Captain)
Position: Forward (Captain)
Age: 35 | Club: Al-Sadd
The most capped player in Qatari football history with 186 international appearances and 41 goals.
Hassan Al-Haydos is the heartbeat of this squad and the player who brings leadership, experience, and composure to every situation.
He was instrumental in Qatar’s 2019 Asian Cup triumph and has been the face of Qatari football for over a decade.
At 35, this will almost certainly be his final World Cup, and the entire nation will be behind him as he leads the team out in North America.
He is a technically gifted forward who creates as much as he scores, and Lopetegui will lean on his experience heavily throughout the tournament.
4. Mohammed Muntari — Forward
Position: Forward
Age: 32 | Club: Al-Gharafa
One of Qatar’s most consistent goal threats and a powerful physical presence up front.
Muntari has 16 international goals in 67 caps and is a direct, physical striker who complements Almoez Ali’s pace with his strength and aerial ability.
He scored one of the most famous goals in Qatari football history at the 2022 World Cup against the Netherlands, becoming only the second player from a host nation to score a goal at a World Cup in which his side were eliminated in the group stage.
For Lopetegui, having Muntari as a different type of striking option gives Qatar genuine variety in how they can threaten opposing defences.
5. Meshaal Barsham — Goalkeeper
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 28 | Club: Al-Sadd
Qatar’s first-choice goalkeeper and the man who will have the most work to do in Group B against Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Barsham has 52 caps and has established himself as Qatar’s most dependable stopper in the years since the 2022 World Cup.
He is quick off his line, strong in one-on-one situations, and has the composure that comes from being a regular starter in a highly competitive domestic league.
At 28, he is at the right age to perform at a World Cup and will be crucial if Qatar are to take anything from their group games.
6. Boualem Khoukhi — Defender
Position: Defender
Age: 35 | Club: Al-Sadd
One of the most experienced defenders in the squad and a player who has been Qatar’s defensive rock for the best part of a decade.
Khoukhi has 116 caps and is the senior voice in Qatar’s back line.
He is a strong, commanding centre-back who reads the game well and organises the defensive structure with authority.
His experience of competing at the highest level of Asian and Arab football, including the 2022 World Cup, gives him a leadership profile that is absolutely vital for a young squad heading into only their second World Cup.
7. Abdulaziz Hatem — Midfielder
Position: Midfielder
Age: 36 | Club: Al-Rayyan
The most experienced midfielder in the squad with 117 caps and 11 international goals.
Hatem has been the engine of Qatar’s midfield for many years, combining physical presence with technical quality and an ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
At 36, he is the oldest outfield player in the squad, but his experience of competing in the Asian Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Copa América, and the 2022 World Cup makes him an invaluable presence in any dressing room.
Lopetegui will lean on that experience to provide stability when the pressure is at its highest.
8. Assim Madibo — Midfielder
Position: Midfielder
Age: 29 | Club: Al-Wakrah
One of the most dependable and hardworking central midfielders in the Qatar squad.
Madibo has 51 caps and brings the kind of disciplined, tactically aware performance in the middle of the park that Lopetegui, a coach who demands structure and organisation, will appreciate greatly.
He breaks up play, recycles possession, and allows the more creative players around him the freedom to express themselves.
His role may not be glamorous, but it is essential to how Qatar want to play.
9. Homam Ahmed — Defender
Position: Defender
Age: 26 | Club: Cultural Leonesa (Spain)
The most European-based player in the Qatari squad and the defender with the most experience of playing outside the Qatari league.
Ahmed plays his club football for Cultural Leonesa in Spain, which gives him a different perspective and tactical understanding that sets him apart from his domestically-based teammates.
He has 68 caps and 3 international goals, the latter being an impressive return from a centre-back.
At 26, he is developing into one of Qatar’s most reliable defenders and gives Lopetegui a player who understands European football from the inside.
10. Tahsin Jamshid — Forward
Position: Forward
Age: 19 | Club: Al-Duhail
The youngest player in the Qatari squad and the most exciting emerging talent in their football system.
Tahsin Jamshid was born on June 16, 2006, and has already earned 3 senior caps despite being just 19 years old.
He is a direct, fearless forward who plays without hesitation and brings a freshness and unpredictability to Qatar’s attack that their more experienced options simply cannot replicate.
Lopetegui has shown faith in the teenager by including him in the final squad ahead of more capped alternatives, which tells you exactly what the Spanish coach sees in him.
At 19 and heading to his first World Cup, Tahsin Jamshid represents the future of Qatari football — and at the 2026 tournament, that future is very much now.
Conclusion
Qatar arrive at the 2026 World Cup with something they did not have four years ago: they earned their place.
They qualified on merit for the first time in their history, they have a world-class manager in Lopetegui, and they have their best player Akram Afif in the form of his career.
Asian football continues to grow, and Qatar are part of that story whether the world pays attention or not.
Check out our guide to the greatest Asian players in World Cup history, the best football leagues in Asia, and every country that has won the World Cup.
Who do you think will be Qatar’s best player at the 2026 World Cup? Let us know in the comments!
