Qatar national football team

Early years (1940s–1950s)

Football was brought to Qatar during a time which coincided with the initial discovery of oil reserves in Dukhan in 1940.^[10] By 1948, teams were created by expatriate oil workers from countries such as India, and various Arabian nations. Among the first documented teams in Qatar were a team formed for the Northern Arab Region, and a team formed near the Al-Khatia area of Dukhan.^[11] The first tournament in the country was the "Ezz Eddin Tournament", held by the Qatar Oil Company in 1951. In the late 1950s, the name was changed to the "Pukett Cup".^[12]

With the growing interest in football, The Qatar Football Association (QFA) was established in 1960, and the QFA joined FIFA in 1963.^[13] Simultaneously during this period, the Bahrain Football Association were drawing up plans for the establishment of a regional football competition within the GCC and Qatari officials were involved with the collaboration of this proposal.^[14] The plans came to fruition and in March of 1970, when the Arabian Gulf Cup was inaugurated.^[15]

Rise of Qatari football: 1970s–1980s

The Qatar national team played its first official match on 27 March 1970 against hosts Bahrain in the 1970 Gulf Cup, losing 1–2 with Mubarak Faraj scoring the sole goal for Qatar.^[16] The newly formed Qatar side gave underwhelming performances in the tournament, coming in last place with a single point, with the highlight of their tournament being a 1–1 draw with rivals Saudi Arabia in their final match, and player Khaled Ballan winning the Best Player of the Tournament.^[17]

In 1972, the next edition of the 1972 Gulf Cup, Qatar again finished last place after suffering 3 straight defeats.^[18] The next tournament in 1974 proved to be somewhat of a breakthrough for the Qataris as they achieved their first triumph in international football with a 4–0 victory over Oman. The team lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals, where they achieved a 3rd place finish in the tournament, after emerging victorious in a penalty shoot-out against the United Arab Emirates, Qatari player Mohammed Ghanim won the Best Player of the Tournament award.^[19]

Qatar entered the 1976 AFC Asian Cup qualification for the AFC Asian Cup which was held in the next year. They were not successful in qualifying, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia qualifying. Despite this setback, Qatar went on to finish 3rd place in the 1976 Gulf Cup as the host nation the next year, solidifying themselves as one of the best teams in the Arab region, with emerging players such as Mansour Muftah, Khaled Ballan, Mohammed Ghanim.^[20]

The national team participated in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers match for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. Qatar was set to play the United Arab Emirates on 11 March 1977, but a last-minute with-drawal of the Emiratis team from the competition merely postponed Qatar's debut until two days later when Bahrain were defeated 2–0 in Doha.^[21]

1980s–1990s

Qatar debuted for their first AFC Asian Cup in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup under Brazilian head coach Evaristo. They had qualified for the tournament after topping a relatively easy group composing of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. In the main tournament, Qatar was unsuccessful in advancing to the knockout stage, making an early exit from the competition with two defeats, one draw and one win.^[22]

In 1984, Qatar narrowly lost to Iraq in the finals of the 1984 Gulf Cup, nonetheless they were named runners-up, one of their most impressive achievements until their 1992 Gulf Cup.^[23]

They failed to make it out of the preliminary stages of the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. However, the team qualified for both the 1984 and 1988 editions of the Asian Cup. They fell short of qualifying for the semi-finals of the 1984 tournament, with Saudi Arabia's Mohaisen Al-Jam'an's 88th-minute goal against Kuwait, ensuring a semi-final position for both teams. They also missed out on a semi-final place in 1988, however, they notably defeated Japan by a score of 3–0.^[24]

Golden era: 1990s–2000s

Qatar arguably reached its peak in the 1990s, attaining a FIFA rating of (53) in August 1993.^[25] Qatar started off with an emphatic qualifying campaign for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, finishing at the top of their group. However they couldn't advance in the tournament, due to finishing below the United Arab Emirates and South Korea in the final round of the qualifiers.

In the 1990 Gulf Cup, the national team once again finished runners-up as Kuwait won the final two matches of the tournament.^[26]

In 1992, they won the 1992 Gulf Cup on home soil for the first time under the leadership of Sebastião Lapola, despite a 1–0 loss against Saudi Arabia in their final game.^[27] Mubarak Mustafa, won both the top scorer and man of the tournament awards.^[28] They were also named runners-up in the 1996 Gulf Cup.

Qatar reached the Asian Zone's final qualifying round for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After wins against China and Iran, they played their last match against Saudi Arabia, where a victory would have earned qualification. However, they lost out as Saudi Arabia won 1–0 to reach the finals.

As 1998 Arab Cup hosts, they finished runners-up to Saudi Arabia.^[29]

2000–2010

They made it to the quarter-finals of the 2000 AFC Asian Cup despite finishing 3rd in their group, but lost to China in their quarter-final confrontation.^[30]

They reached the final qualifying round again in 2001 but were defeated by Bora Milutinovic's China team, who topped the section to progress to their first FIFA World Cup. Frenchman Philippe Troussier took the manager's job after the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, but was unsuccessful in both the 2004 AFC Asian Cup and the qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Troussier was sacked after the World Cup qualifying campaign, and under Bosnian Džemaludin Mušović, the team won the Gulf Cup in 2004 and the under 23 teams' Asian Games gold in 2006. Mušović stepped down after Qatar only earned two points from three matches in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

The job of coaching the team in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup fell to Uruguayan head coach Jorge Fossati, who led the team throughout the first and second AFC rounds up to the third round. After leaving them at the top of their group with only two played matches, Fossati had to undergo stomach surgery. Subsequently, the Qatar Football Association ended their cooperation with him in September 2008, as the QFA claimed he needed too long to recover from surgery.^[31] Bruno Metsu was called up for the job, but Qatar failed to qualify after finishing fourth in their qualifying group.

2010–2020

Qatar was announced as hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in December 2010.

In 2011, as hosts of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, they advanced to the quarter-finals. They succumbed to a late 2–3 defeat to eventual champions Japan after a goal was scored by Masahiko Inoha in the 89th minute.

Also, as hosts, they went on to win the 2013 WAFF Championship after defeating Jordan 2–0 in the final. The competition was made up primarily of youth and reserve teams, of which Qatar's was the latter.^[32] Djamel Belmadi, the head coach of the B team, replaced Fahad Thani as the head coach of the senior team as a result of the team's positive performances. 10 months later, Djamel Belmadi led Qatar to gold in the 2014 Gulf Cup. They advanced from the group stages after three draws, going on to defeat Oman 3–1 in the semi-final, and were victorious in the final against Saudi Arabia, who was playing in front of a home crowd, by a margin of 2–1.^[33]

Despite winning the Gulf Cup and finishing the year 2014 with only one defeat, Qatar showed poor form in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Qatar was defeated 1–4 by the United Arab Emirates in their opener. This was continued with a 0–1 loss to Iran and 1–2 to Bahrain. Qatar was eliminated in the group stages with no points and placed 4th in Group C.

Qatar's campaign in qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was a surprise. Their start in the second round of FIFA World Cup qualifying in the AFC was nearly perfect, with seven wins and only one loss. However, their success in the second round didn't follow them to the third round. Qatar finished bottom of their group, ensuring they would play their first World Cup match on home soil in 2022, the first team to do so since Italy in 1934.

Qatar continued its poor form in the 2017 Gulf Cup, which was hosted by Kuwait. Qatar opened the tournament with a 4–0 win against Yemen, but that was followed by a 1–2 loss to Iraq and an unconvincing 1–1 draw to Bahrain. Qatar took third place in Group B with four points and was eliminated in the group stage of the competition, which was considered an upsetting of the tournament, especially after winning the 2014 edition.

However, Qatar had an excellent campaign at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Their opener saw them defeat Lebanon 2–0. This was followed by a 6–0 thrashing of North Korea and a 2–0 win against three-time champions Saudi Arabia, which sealed the team getting first place in the group. They had a 1–0 win against Iraq in the Round of 16 and a late win against defending runners-up South Korea in the quarter-finals, seeing them through to the semi-finals for the first time ever, where they defeated the hosts United Arab Emirates 4–0 to set up a final against 4-time winners Japan. Qatar ended up winning the final 3–1 over Japan, marking their first-ever major tournament title in their history, and capping off one of the most improbable Asian Cup runs in the tournament's history, especially since they conceded only one goal in all their games.^[34]

Qatar was invited to the 2019 Copa América. They were placed in Group B with Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. Their first game was against Paraguay where they came back from a 2–0 deficit to tie it 2–2, but this marked the first time Qatar suffered more than one goal in any major competition since winning the Asian Cup in the UAE.^[35] It was followed by a 0–1 loss to Colombia, ending the team's undefeated streak in any major competition to eight.^[36] A 0–2 loss to Argentina meant Qatar took the last place in Group B with a single point and was eliminated in the group stage of the competition.^[37]

Preparation for the FIFA World Cup as host: 2020–present

Despite Qatar having automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup as hosts, they had to play the AFC qualifiers in the second round as part of it also acting as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and won 7 of 8 games, conceding only one goal. Qatar was invited for the first time to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They played in Group D with Honduras, Panama and Grenada.^[38] In December 2020, UEFA invited Qatar to play friendlies against the teams in Group A of the 2022 World Cup qualifying group – Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland and Serbia – as five teams in one group means one team will not be playing on any given match day. These friendlies did not count in the qualifying group standings. Qatar played their "home" matches in Europe in order to allow short travel times for their opponents.^[39][40]

In the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Qatar claimed 7 points in Group D. Their debut was against Panama with a 3–3 draw, ensuring them their first point. This was followed by a 4–0 victory over Grenada and a 2–0 win over Honduras ensuring a quarter-final place where they would face El Salvador, ultimately securing a semi-final place against the United States with a 3–2 win. However, against the hosts with its squad made up of the majority of MLS players, Qatar failed to find the way to the net, in spite of having a penalty in the 60th minute, ultimately conceding a late goal from Gyasi Zardes to end Qatar's campaign with a 1–0 loss. In the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, Qatar won all of its group-stage matches and faced UAE, winning 5–0. They lost 2–1 in the semi-final against Algeria,^[41] eventually placing 3rd.^[42]

Despite the very successful performance of Qatar in various major tournaments, the 2022 FIFA World Cup held at home proved to be a nightmare for the Qataris. Being automatically drawn into the Group A as hosts, Qatar started with a 0–2 loss to Ecuador in the opening match, conceding two goals in the first half from Enner Valencia, making Qatar the first host country to lose their opening game.^[43] The situation did not improve for the Qataris in their second meeting with Senegal, when the Africans beat the Qataris 3–1 to condemn the hosts to an early World Cup exit, becoming the second host country after South Africa, the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts, to have such an unwanted record (although they were eliminated only on inferior goal differences to Mexico after three matches); they became the first host team to be eliminated after two group games and guaranteed to be the worst-host ever, although Ghanaian-born Mohammed Muntari became Qatar's first World Cup scorer in this game.^[44][45][46] With Qatar's elimination confirmed, the hosts then fell to the Netherlands 0–2, making an unwanted record as the first hosts to score the fewest goals (1), the first to lose all three group games, and the lowest-ranked team in the tournament (ranked 32nd).^[47][48]

14 months later, they would redeem themselves at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, also held at home. The Maroons defeated Lebanon 3–0 to start off their campaign, and they entered the round of 16 as group winners following 2 other successes, all without conceding a goal. They had to overcome Palestine (2–1) and then Uzbekistan in the next round (1–1 a.e.t., 3 p.s.o. to 2) to reach the last four, but without convincing. After defeating Iran narrowly in a 3–2 dramatic semifinal match, they would face off against Jordan in the final, where a penalty hat-trick by Akram Afif helped Qatar defeat Jordan 3–1 to clinch their second successive AFC Asian Cup, becoming the first team since Japan to successfully defend their title.^[49][50][51]

On 14 October 2025, Qatar secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2–1 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar. The result marked their first-ever qualification for a World Cup through the standard AFC qualification process, having previously participated in 2022 as hosts.^[52][53]

Kits and crest

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Qatar national football team kits.

Qatar wears all-maroon as their home colours and all-white colours as an away kit. Their first manufacturer was Umbro from 1980 to 1984. All Qatar kits are currently manufactured by Adidas.^[54]

More information Kit suppliers, Period ...

Kit suppliers	Period
Umbro	1980–1984
Adidas	1984–1992
Venecia	1993–1995
Grand Sport	1996–2002
Adidas	2002–2008
Burrda	2009–2011
Nike	2012–2024
Adidas[55]	2024–present

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Bahrain

More information Statistics vs. Bahrain, Pld ...

Statistics vs.  Bahrain Pld W D L GF GA GD 39 8 19 11 32 36 −4

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Qatar has a major rivalry against Bahrain due to historical tension between the two countries. With 39 matches played, the overall record favours Bahrain, who won 11 matches, lost 8, and tied 19. From 2004 until 2021, Qatar suffered a winless streak over Bahrain with six defeats and ten draws before finally registering a win in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.

United Arab Emirates

More information Statistics vs. United Arab Emirates, Pld ...

Statistics vs.  United Arab Emirates Pld W D L GF GA GD 34 14 9 11 47 40 +7

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The rivalry with United Arab Emirates is a competitive one in the Arabian Gulf Cup meeting on multiple occasions, due to the 2017–2021 Qatar diplomatic crisis, increasing tensions had been witnessed, with the captain of UAE under-19 youth team refusing to shake hands with Qatar's youth captain in 2018 AFC U-19 Championship held in Indonesia; in this tournament, the UAE beat Qatar 2–1 but still crashed out from the group stage while Qatar would recover to qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.^[57] As of 2020, Qatar and UAE have played 31 official matches, most of which was held competitively in the Arabian Gulf Cup, it started off with the United Arab Emirates beating Qatar 1–0. They only played 2 friendly games and the last friendly was held in 2011 which ended with an Emirati victory. In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by the UAE, Qatar overran the UAE for the first time since 2001 with a result of 4–0, with heavy tensions occurring between the two teams and Emirati supporters cheering anti-Qatari chants.^[58]

Saudi Arabia

More information Statistics vs. Saudi Arabia, Pld ...

Statistics vs.  Saudi Arabia Pld W D L GF GA GD 41 8 16 17 31 53 −22

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Qatar has a major rivalry against Saudi Arabia due to historical tension between the two countries and the 2017–2021 Qatar diplomatic crisis. Qatar has an overall negative record against Saudi Arabia; with 41 matches played, Qatar has won 8 matches, lost 17, and tied 16.

2025

Qatar  v  Iran

5 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Qatar	1–0	Iran	Doha, Qatar
21:15 UTC+3	Pedro Miguel 41'	Report		Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 8,925 Referee: Mohammed Al-Hoaish (Saudi Arabia)

Uzbekistan  v  Qatar

10 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Uzbekistan	3–0	Qatar	Tashkent, Uzbekistan
18:45 UTC+5	Turgunboev 28' Shomurodov 86' Sergeev 90+2'	Report		Stadium: Milliy Stadium Attendance: 32,931 Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Qatar  v  Lebanon

24 August Unofficial friendly	Qatar	0–1	Lebanon	Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:30 UTC+3		Report	Kaddour 6'	Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 0
Note: The match was not considered an official international fixture, as it was played in two 35-minute halves (70 minutes in total).

Qatar  v  Bahrain

3 September Unofficial friendly	Qatar	2–2	Bahrain	Doha, Qatar
19:15 UTC+3	Muntari 17' Alaaeldin 87'		Al-Aswad 62' (pen.) Al-Khattal 66'	Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium

Qatar  v  Russia

7 September Friendly	Qatar	1–4	Russia	Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:15 UTC+3	Afif 62'	Report	Golovin 33' Kislyak 35' Sergeyev 45' Al. Miranchuk 69'	Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 8,953 Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)

Oman  v  Qatar

8 October 2026 World Cup qualification	Oman	0–0	Qatar	Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3		Report (FIFA) Report (AFC)		Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 12,975 Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)

Qatar  v  United Arab Emirates

14 October 2026 World Cup qualification	Qatar	2–1	United Arab Emirates	Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3	Khoukhi 49' Pedro 74'	Report (FIFA) Report (AFC)	Adil 90+8'	Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 13,038 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

Qatar  v  Zimbabwe

17 November Unofficial Friendly	Qatar	1–2	Zimbabwe	Doha, Qatar
19:30 UTC+3	Gouda 9'	Report	Garananga 24' Antonio 74'	Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium Referee: Mohamed Ebrahim Saad (Bahrain)

Qatar  v  Palestine

1 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Qatar	0–1	Palestine	Al Khor, Qatar
18:45 UTC+3		Report	Al-Brake 90+5' (o.g.)	Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium Attendance: 61,475 Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Syria  v  Qatar

4 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Syria	1–1	Qatar	Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3	Khribin 90'	Report	Alaaeldin 77'	Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 42,467 Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Qatar  v  Tunisia

7 December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Qatar	0–3	Tunisia	Al Khor, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3		Report	Ben Romdhane 16' Meriah 62' Ben Ali 90+4'	Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium Attendance: 48,151 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

2026

Qatar  v  Serbia

26 March Friendly	Qatar	Cancelled	Serbia	Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:00 UTC+3		Report		Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
Note: Cancelled due to the 2026 Iran war.

Qatar  v  Argentina

31 March Friendly	Qatar	Cancelled	Argentina	Lusail, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Lusail Stadium
Note: Cancelled due to the 2026 Iran war.

Qatar  v  Sudan

21 May Friendly	Qatar	Cancelled	Sudan	Doha, Qatar
18:30 UTC+3		Report		Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Note: Cancelled as several players in the Sudan team contracted jaundice upon their arrival in Qatar.

Republic of Ireland  v  Qatar

28 May Friendly	Republic of Ireland	1–0	Qatar	Dublin, Ireland
19:45 UTC+1	Collins 5'	Report		Stadium: Aviva Stadium Attendance: 28,981 Referee: Jamie Robinson (Northern Ireland)

El Salvador  v  Qatar

6 June Friendly	El Salvador	v	Qatar	Los Angeles, California, United States
13:00 UTC−7				Stadium: BMO Stadium

Qatar  v   Switzerland

13 June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS	Qatar	v	Switzerland	Santa Clara, California, United States
12:00 UTC−7		Report		Stadium: Levi's Stadium

Canada  v  Qatar

18 June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS	Canada	v	Qatar	Vancouver, Canada
15:00 UTC−7		Report		Stadium: BC Place

Bosnia and Herzegovina  v  Qatar

24 June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS	Bosnia and Herzegovina	v	Qatar	Seattle, Washington, United States
12:00 UTC−7		Report		Stadium: Lumen Field

Qatar  v  Bahrain

24 September 2026 Gulf Cup GS	Qatar	v	Bahrain	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
21:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium

Yemen  v  Qatar

27 September 2026 Gulf Cup GS	Yemen	v	Qatar	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
18:55 UTC+3				Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium

United Arab Emirates  v  Qatar

30 September 2026 Gulf Cup GS	United Arab Emirates	v	Qatar	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
20:30 UTC+3				Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium

Qatar  v

November 2026 WAFF Championship	Qatar	v		Oman
--:--

Qatar  v

November 2026 WAFF Championship	Qatar	v		Oman
--:--

2027

Qatar  v  Thailand

11 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Qatar	v	Thailand	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium

Indonesia  v  Qatar

16 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Indonesia	v	Qatar	Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Aramco Stadium

Japan  v  Qatar

20 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Japan	v	Qatar	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium

Coaching history

As of February 2023

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Current squad

The following 26 players were named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[59]
Caps and goals correct as of 28 May 2026, after the match against Republic of Ireland.

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mahmud Abunada	(2000-02-05) 5 February 2000 (age 26)	4	0	Al-Rayyan
21	1GK	Salah Zakaria	(1999-04-24) 24 April 1999 (age 27)	8	0	Al-Duhail
22	1GK	Meshaal Barsham	(1998-02-14) 14 February 1998 (age 28)	52	0	Al-Sadd
2	2DF	Pedro Miguel	(1990-08-06) 6 August 1990 (age 35)	98	3	Al-Sadd
3	2DF	Lucas Mendes	(1990-07-03) 3 July 1990 (age 35)	25	1	Al-Wakrah
4	2DF	Issa Laye	(1997-12-22) 22 December 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Al-Arabi
13	2DF	Ayoub Al-Oui	(2005-03-11) 11 March 2005 (age 21)	5	0	Al-Gharafa
14	2DF	Homam Ahmed	(1999-08-25) 25 August 1999 (age 26)	67	3	Cultural Leonesa
16	2DF	Boualem Khoukhi	(1990-07-09) 9 July 1990 (age 35)	115	20	Al-Sadd
18	2DF	Sultan Al-Brake	(1996-04-07) 7 April 1996 (age 30)	16	0	Al-Duhail
25	2DF	Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain	(2003-08-15) 15 August 2003 (age 22)	7	0	Al-Arabi
5	3MF	Jassem Gaber	(2002-02-20) 20 February 2002 (age 24)	31	1	Al-Rayyan
6	3MF	Abdulaziz Hatem	(1990-10-28) 28 October 1990 (age 35)	117	11	Al-Rayyan
12	3MF	Karim Boudiaf	(1990-09-16) 16 September 1990 (age 35)	117	5	Al-Duhail
20	3MF	Ahmed Fathy	(1993-01-25) 25 January 1993 (age 33)	47	0	Al-Arabi
23	3MF	Assim Madibo	(1996-10-22) 22 October 1996 (age 29)	50	0	Al-Wakrah
26	3MF	Mohamed Manai	(2002-10-25) 25 October 2002 (age 23)	9	0	Al-Shamal
7	4FW	Ahmed Alaaeldin	(1993-01-31) 31 January 1993 (age 33)	67	9	Al-Rayyan
8	4FW	Edmilson Junior	(1994-08-19) 19 August 1994 (age 31)	15	0	Al-Duhail
9	4FW	Mohammed Muntari	(1993-12-20) 20 December 1993 (age 32)	67	16	Al-Gharafa
10	4FW	Hassan Al-Haydos (captain)	(1990-12-11) 11 December 1990 (age 35)	185	41	Al-Sadd
11	4FW	Akram Afif	(1996-11-18) 18 November 1996 (age 29)	124	39	Al-Sadd
15	4FW	Yusuf Abdurisag	(1999-08-06) 6 August 1999 (age 26)	38	3	Al-Wakrah
17	4FW	Ahmed Al-Ganehi	(2000-09-22) 22 September 2000 (age 25)	13	1	Al-Gharafa
19	4FW	Almoez Ali	(1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 (age 29)	115	55	Al-Duhail
24	4FW	Tahsin Jamshid	(2006-06-16) 16 June 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Al-Duhail

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Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Qatar squad within the last twelve months.

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Shehab Ellethy	(2000-04-18) 18 April 2000 (age 26)	1	0	Al-Shahaniya	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Fahad Younis	(1994-07-30) July 30, 1994 (age 31)	0	0	Al-Sailiya	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Marwan Badreldin	(1999-04-15) 15 April 1999 (age 27)	0	0	Al-Ahli	v.  United Arab Emirates, 14 October 2025
GK	Saad Al-Sheeb	(1990-02-19) 19 February 1990 (age 36)	79	0	Al-Sadd	v.  Iran, 5 June 2025
DF	Rayyan Al-Ali	(2006-03-26) 26 March 2006 (age 20)	1	0	Al-Gharafa	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Tarek Salman	(1997-12-05) 5 December 1997 (age 28)	90	0	Al-Sadd	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Bassam Al-Rawi	(1997-12-16) 16 December 1997 (age 28)	70	2	Al-Duhail	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Niall Mason	(1997-01-10) 10 January 1997 (age 29)	0	0	Qatar SC	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Eisa Palangi	(1999-02-21) 21 February 1999 (age 27)	0	0	Qatar SC	Centralized training camp, March 2026
DF	Marwan Sherif	(2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 20)	0	0	Al-Arabi	Centralized training camp, March 2026
DF	Yousef Aymen	(1999-03-21) 21 March 1999 (age 27)	9	1	Al-Duhail	2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF	Ahmed Suhail	(1999-02-08) 8 February 1999 (age 27)	13	1	Al-Sadd	v.  Zimbabwe, 17 November 2025
DF	Nabil Irfan	(2004-02-07) 7 February 2004 (age 22)	0	0	Al-Wakrah	v.  Zimbabwe, 17 November 2025
DF	Al-Mahdi Ali Mukhtar	(1992-03-02) 2 March 1992 (age 34)	39	2	Al-Wakrah	v.  Russia, 7 September 2025
DF	Abdullah Yousef	(2002-04-10) 10 April 2002 (age 24)	6	0	Al-Rayyan	v.  Russia, 7 September 2025
DF	Hazem Shehata	(1998-02-02) 2 February 1998 (age 28)	11	1	Al-Rayyan	Austria training camp, July 2025
DF	Abdullah Al-Yazidi	(2002-03-28) 28 March 2002 (age 24)	5	0	Al-Sadd	Austria training camp, July 2025
DF	Amro Surag	(1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 28)	5	2	Al-Gharafa	v.  Uzbekistan, 10 June 2025
DF	Mohammed Ayash	(2001-02-27) 27 February 2001 (age 25)	1	0	Qatar SC	v.  Uzbekistan, 10 June 2025
MF	Mohammed Waad	(1999-09-18) 18 September 1999 (age 26)	49	0	Al-Shamal	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Mostafa Meshaal	(2001-03-28) 28 March 2001 (age 25)	26	2	Eupen	Centralized training camp, March 2026
MF	Ibrahim Al-Hassan	(2005-10-26) 26 October 2005 (age 20)	12	3	Al-Rayyan	Centralized training camp, March 2026
MF	Khalid Ali Sabah	(2001-10-05) 5 October 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Al-Sailiya	Centralized training camp, March 2026
MF	Anas Abweny	(2004-09-11) 11 September 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Sadd	Centralized training camp, March 2026
MF	Khaled Mohammed	(2000-06-07) 7 June 2000 (age 25)	3	0	Al-Ahli	v.  Zimbabwe, 17 November 2025
MF	Guilherme Torres	(1991-04-05) 5 April 1991 (age 35)	2	0	Al-Sadd	v.  United Arab Emirates, 14 November 2025
MF	Abdelrahman Moustafa	(1997-04-05) 5 April 1997 (age 29)	13	0	Al-Ahli	v.  Uzbekistan, 10 June 2025
FW	Sebastián Soria	(1983-11-08) 8 November 1983 (age 42)	124	39	Qatar SC	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Mubarak Shanan	(2004-02-20) 20 February 2004 (age 22)	2	0	Al-Duhail	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Ahmed Al-Rawi	(2004-05-30) 30 May 2004 (age 22)	9	3	Qatar SC	Centralized training camp, March 2026
FW	Mohamed Gouda	(2005-01-26) 26 January 2005 (age 21)	7	0	Al-Arabi	Centralized training camp, March 2026
FW	Ismaeel Mohammad	(1990-04-05) 5 April 1990 (age 36)	84	4	Al-Duhail	v.  United Arab Emirates, 14 November 2025
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Retired from the national team. SUS Player is serving a suspension. WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

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Naturalised players

While it is reasonably common for footballers to represent national teams other than their birth nations,^[60] the nature and extent of the practice for the Qatari team have been the subject of scrutiny and criticism at various points during the 21st century. In the early 1970s, shortly after the formation of the national team, the QFA revealed that it had naturalized its first players in a February 1976 telegram sent to FIFA: Ezzuldin Osman of Sudan, Hassan Mukhtar of Egypt and Ryad Murad of Lebanon. This practice of naturalizing Arabic-speaking foreigners to compete for the national team continued throughout the 20th century, albeit at a relatively slow rate.^[61] In 2004, FIFA cited the intention of three Brazilian players – Aílton, Dedé and Leandro – to play for the Qatar national team as the immediate trigger to their decision to tighten eligibility rules to ensure players have ties to the country they represent.^[62][63]

While Qatari authorities described it as a humanitarian effort and a way to provide competition for native Qatari players, critics claimed that it was merely another exploitative way of acquiring naturalized players,^[64] with Vice linking it to human rights abuses and the kafala system.^[65] The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Qatar announced the removal of the Kafala on 12 December 2016; the law came into effect in 2018.^[66] The reform took place between UN's International labor organization and the state of Qatar and was proven to be the part of many said assurances that nation has claimed for the 2022 World Cup. Though claimed by independent bodies of Qatar foundering to achieve the same, both sides had agreed to revise previous acts that had been taken. To make this all possible, the hosting country declared to pay compensation for the deaths of its migrant workers on 12 August 2022.^[67]

Job changes between September 2020 and March 2022, the establishment of a nondiscriminatory wage system for all workers in March 2021, and workers' funds and insurance policies in the workplace are all data that showcased the functioning of the state for its workers.^[68]

In the 2015 friendly against Algeria, six of the eleven players in the starting team were born outside of Qatar.^[69] Then-president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, warned Qatar that FIFA would monitor their player selection to ensure that they were not relying too heavily on naturalised players. He made comparisons to the Qatar men's national handball team, referring to the team's selection for the 2015 World Men's Handball Championship as an "absurdity".^[70] The following year, naturalized players formed the backbone of the team and were sufficiently integral that head coach Jorge Fossati threatened to resign if they were removed.^[71][72]

The reliance on naturalised players has subsequently reduced, with only two members of the squad that beat Switzerland in a 2018 friendly being born outside Qatar.^[73] However, at the 2019 Asian Cup, amidst diplomatic tensions between the two countries, the United Arab Emirates Football Association lodged a formal complaint against Qatar, alleging that Almoez Ali and Bassam Al-Rawi were not eligible to play for them.^[74] These complaints were dismissed by the AFC.^[75][76]

Of the 26 players called up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 10 players were born outside of Qatar.^[77]

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup, Qualification ...

FIFA World Cup											Qualification
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1958	Protectorate of the United Kingdom										Protectorate of the United Kingdom
1962	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1966 and 1970	Did not enter										Did not enter
1974	Withdrew from qualifiers										Withdrew from qualifiers
1978	Did not qualify										4	1	0	3	3	9
1982											4	2	0	2	5	3
1986											4	2	0	2	6	3
1990											11	4	6	1	12	8
1994											8	5	1	2	22	8
1998											11	6	1	4	21	10
2002											14	7	4	3	24	13
2006											6	3	0	3	16	8
2010											16	6	4	6	16	20
2014											16	5	5	6	19	20
2018											18	9	1	8	37	19
2022	Group stage	32nd	3	0	0	3	1	7	Squad		18	7	1	0	18	1
2026	Group stage	TBD	0	0	0	0	0	0	Squad		18	10	3	5	38	29
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total:2/16	Group stage	32nd	3	0	0	3	1	7	—		138	67	26	45	236	150

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...

AFC Asian Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Protectorate of the United Kingdom										Protectorate of the United Kingdom
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	5	8
1980	Group stage	8th	4	1	1	2	3	8	Squad		4	3	1	0	10	2
1984		5th	4	1	2	1	3	3	Squad		4	3	0	1	11	1
1988		5th	4	2	0	2	7	6	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1992		6th	3	0	2	1	3	4	Squad		2	2	0	0	8	2
1996	Did not qualify										4	2	0	2	5	4
2000	Quarter-finals	8th	4	0	3	1	3	5	Squad		4	3	1	0	11	3
2004	Group stage	14th	3	0	1	2	2	4	Squad		6	3	2	1	10	7
2007		14th	3	0	2	1	3	4	Squad		6	5	0	1	14	4
2011	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	0	2	7	5	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2015	Group stage	13th	3	0	0	3	2	7	Squad		6	4	1	1	13	2
2019	Champions	1st	7	7	0	0	19	1	Squad		8	7	0	1	29	4
2023	Champions	1st	7	6	1	0	14	5	Squad		8	7	1	0	18	1
2027	Qualified										6	5	1	0	18	3
Total	2 Titles	12/14	46	19	12	15	66	52	—	64	46	8	10	163	40

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More information AFC Asian Cup history, First match ...

AFC Asian Cup history
First match	Qatar 2–1 United Arab Emirates  (17 September 1980; Kuwait City, Kuwait)
Biggest win	North Korea 0–6 Qatar  (13 January 2019; Al Ain, United Arab Emirates)
Biggest defeat	Kuwait 4–0 Qatar  (25 September 1980; Kuwait City, Kuwait)
Best result	Champions (2019, 2023)
Worst result	Group stage (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2004, 2007, 2015)

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FIFA Arab Cup

More information FIFA Arab Cup record, Year ...

FIFA Arab Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	Did not enter
1964
1966
1985	Fourth place	4	1	2	1	3	2
1988	Did not enter
1992
1998	Runners-up	4	3	0	1	7	5
2002	Did not enter
2012
2021	Third place	6	4	1	1	12	3
2025	Group stage	3	0	1	2	1	5
Total	4/11	17	8	4	5	23	15

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Copa América

Qatar was the second team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, and were invited for the first time in 2019.

More information Copa América record, Year ...

Copa América record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2019	Group stage	10th	3	0	1	2	2	5
Total	Group stage	10th	3	0	1	2	2	5

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CONCACAF Gold Cup

Qatar was the second team from Asia to participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup after South Korea, and were invited for the first time in 2021.

More information CONCACAF Gold Cup record, Year ...

CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2021	Semi-finals	3rd	5	3	1	1	12	6
2023	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	3	7
Total	Semi-finals	2/28	9	4	2	3	15	13

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Gulf Cup

More information Gulf Cup record, Year ...

Gulf Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1970	Fourth place	3	0	1	2	4	7
1972	Fourth place	3	0	0	3	0	10
1974	Semi-finals	3	1	0	2	5	4
1976	Third place	6	4	1	1	11	6
1979	Fifth place	6	2	1	3	4	13
1982	Fifth place	5	2	0	3	5	4
1984	Runners-up	7	4	1	2	10	6
1986	Fourth place	6	2	2	2	7	8
1988	Sixth place	6	1	2	3	4	8
1990	Runners-up	4	1	2	1	4	4
1992	Champions	5	4	0	1	8	1
1994	Fourth place	5	1	1	3	6	8
1996	Runners-up	5	3	1	1	9	5
1998	Sixth place	5	0	3	2	3	8
2002	Runners-up	5	4	0	1	7	4
2003–04	Third place	6	2	3	1	5	3
2004	Champions	5	3	2	0	10	7
2007	Group stage	3	0	1	2	2	4
2009	Semi-finals	4	1	2	1	2	2
2010	Group stage	3	1	1	1	3	3
2013	Group stage	3	1	0	2	3	5
2014	Champions	5	2	3	0	6	3
2017–18	Group stage	3	1	1	1	6	3
2019	Semi-finals	4	2	0	2	11	5
2023	Semi-finals	4	1	1	2	5	5
2024–25	Group stage	3	0	2	1	3	4
2026	TBD
Total	26/26	114	43	29	42	140	136

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The Gulf Cup has been played on a bi-annual basis since 1970. The tournament has changed since the first edition from a round-robin basis to a knockout tournament in the latter years. Notably, the 2000 edition was cancelled and the 2003 and 2010 were moved due to congested fixture lists with other tournaments, such as the Asian Cup.

Arab Games

More information Arab Games record, Year ...

Arab Games record
Year	Round	Result	M	W	D	L	GF	GA
1953-1997	Did not enter
1999	First group stage	10th	2	0	0	2	0	4
2007	Did not enter
2011	Group stage	6th	2	0	2	0	2	2
2023	Did not enter
Total	2/10	6th	4	0	2	2	2	6

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WAFF Championship

More information WAFF Championship record, Year ...

WAFF Championship record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2000	Did not enter
2002
2004
2007
2008	Semi-finals	3	1	0	2	2	9
2010	Did not enter
2012
2013	Champions	4	4	0	0	10	1
2019	Did not enter
2023	Withdrew
Total	2/10	7	5	0	2	12	10

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Olympic Games

More information Summer Olympics record, Qualification record ...

Summer Olympics record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	M	W	D	L	GF	GA		M	W	D	L	GF	GA
1976	Did not enter									Did not enter
1980
1984	Group stage	15th	3	0	1	2	2	5		10	6	4	0	13	5
1988	Did not qualify									8	2	3	3	6	9
1992 – present	See Qatar national under-23 team									See Qatar national under-23 team
Total	Group stage	1/17	3	0	1	2	2	5		18	8	7	3	19	14

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Asian Games

More information Asian Games record, Year ...

Asian Games record
Year	Round	M	W	D	L	GF	GA
1951-1974	Did not enter
1978	Group stage	3	0	1	2	3	7
1982	Did not enter
1986	Group stage	3	0	2	1	2	3
1990	Did not enter
1994	Group stage	3	0	3	0	5	5
1998	Quarter-finals	6	4	1	1	9	4
2002–present	See Qatar national under-23 football team
Total	4/13	15	4	7	4	19	19

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