(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar's star striker Akram Afif expressed his delight at the team's historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, saying that reaching the tournament through the qualifiers marks a new milestone for Qatari football.
Afif, who was among the three finalists for the AFC Player of the Year award at the annual awards ceremony in Riyadh and lost out to Saudi Arabia's Salem al-Dawsari. said he felt proud to be nominated once again for Asia's top individual honour.
“I congratulate the Qatari fans on qualifying for the World Cup, which is a significant achievement for Qatari football after our participation in the last edition as host,” the Al Sadd forward said.
The two-time AFC Player of the Year winner, who helped lead Qatar to a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in Tuesday's Asian play-off, added that the national team's qualification reflected the hard work and spirit of the players.“I feel proud to be among the nominees for the award, and more importantly, to have qualified for the World Cup,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the fans for their strong support throughout the campaign.
Afif has been in exceptional form, contributing decisively to both club and country. Last season, he registered 45 goal involvements for Al Sadd - scoring 23 goals and providing 22 assists in 36 matches - while leading the club to a second consecutive league title and the Qatar Cup. He was also the league's top assist provider and guided Al Sadd to the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
During the AFC Awards ceremony, Afif drew attention for comments made in a televised interview regarding the closing moments of Qatar's win over the UAE, in which he was seen gesturing toward supporters. Responding to questions about the incident, Afif said with a smile that he had encouraged fans to throw objects onto the pitch“just to waste time,” before quickly adding that he also asked them to stop so the referee would not extend the stoppage period.
The tense finish in Doha saw Qatar secure a vital 2-1 win to top Group A of the Asian playoffs and confirm their place at the 2026 World Cup-the country's second appearance at the global showpiece, and the first achieved through qualification Afif 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Qatari football

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