Doha: Qatar head coach Carlos Queiroz on Wednesday named 26-man squad to face Afghanistan and India in this month’s fixtures at the joint FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers.
The veteran Portuguese made several changes in the squad that finished runners-up in the Jordan International Quad Championship in Amman last month.
It is once again a blend of young talent and seasoned players with Al Rayyan teenager Ahmed Al Rawi also sealing his place in the squad.
The Asian champions will start their qualifying campaign from the second round, hosting Afghanistan, who progressed through the Preliminary Joint Qualification.
The match will be played at Khalifa International Stadium on November 16.
Al Annabi will then travel to Bhubaneshwar to meet hosts India on November 21.
The joint qualification will resume after the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 which will be held from January 12 to February 10, 2024 with Queiroz’s side scheduled to meet Kuwait on March 21, 2024.
They will play their GCC opponents again in the return leg on March 26 while their second match against Afghanistan is set for June 6, before the game against India five days later.
A total of 36 teams divided into nine groups will be seen in action in the second round. All nine group winners and the respective runners-up will advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and at the same time seal their places at the 2027 Asian Cup.
The draw for the third round of the global showpiece in 2026 will be conducted in 2024, where the 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six; the top two from each group will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Qatar Squad
Goalkeepers: Fahad Younes (Al Rayyan), Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Yousef Hassan (Al Gharafa)
Defenders: Bassam Al Rawi (Al Rayyan), Boualem Khoukhi, Tariq Salman, Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Homam Al Amin (Al Gharafa), Yousef Ayman (Al Duhail), Hazem Ahmed, Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah)
Midfielders: Abdullah Al Marafi, Ahmed Fathi, Jassem Jaber (Al Arabi), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Hassan Al Haydos, Mustafa Meshaal, Muhammad Waad (Al Sadd)
Forwards: Akram Afif, Yousef Abdulrazaq (Al Sadd), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al Gharafa), Almoez Ali, Mohammed Muntari (Al Duhail), Ahmed Al Rawi, Tamim Mansour (Al Rayyan)
