Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced new amendments to its player registration regulations for the 2026-27 season.
QFA said in a circular today that it has abolished the provision that previously allowed clubs to register an additional talented player if a member of the Qatar senior national team was loaned to a European club. The exception had been in effect in previous seasons.
The amendments also remove one of the exemptions related to the registration of talented players and introduce a mechanism allowing the sporting status of certain foreign and talented players to be changed to local players under specific conditions. The move is intended enhance the player registration system and the stability of clubs and the national teams.
The QFA has, however, retained the regulations governing player participation on the field. Each team may continue to field a maximum of five foreign professional players, in addition to two talented players.
The association also introduced a new provision allowing resident players who are part of Qatar's national youth teams, beginning with the Under-17 national team, to apply to have their sporting status changed to that of a local player, subject to approval by the QFA Executive Committee.
The new amendments further provide that a player registered as a foreign professional or as a talented player may have his status changed to Qatari player in the QFA's records, provided he has made at least 10 official appearances for the Qatar senior national team. The change must be requested by the player's club and approved by the Executive Committee.
QFA also clarified that any club wishing to field more than two talented players in a match will be required to reduce the number of foreign professional players accordingly to remain in compliance with the regulations.
According to the QFA, the amendments were part of its efforts to modernize the player registration rules in line with the evolving demands of competition, while striking a balance between giving clubs greater flexibility in managing their squads, encouraging players to represent the national teams, and promoting long-term stability for eligible talented players.
