Lopetegui Confident Qatar Will Be Ready For World Cup

Doha, Qatar: With the domestic season ending following Saturday's Amir Cup final, Qatar's players will now shift focus to the final phase of preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off next month.

Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui expressed confidence that Al Annabi have enough time to prepare for the global showpiece, to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Making their second World Cup appearance, the back-to-back Asian Cup champions have been drawn in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina – the European play-off winners.

Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui

Qatar will begin their campaign against Switzerland on June 13 before taking on Canada on June 19. They will conclude the group stage against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24.

Lopetegui oversaw a training camp during March and April before players returned to their clubs for the closing stages of the domestic season, including the Qatar Stars League and Amir Cup matches. The Spaniard is expected to announce another training camp in Qatar soon.

Qatar's preparations initially included high-profile friendlies against Serbia and Argentina during the Qatar Football Festival in late March, but those matches were cancelled. Al Annabi are now scheduled to face Ireland and El Salvador in warm-up matches on May 28 and June 6, respectively.

“We had one last match of the domestic season [the Amir Cup final], which means we have enough time to prepare before heading to the World Cup,” Lopetegui told BeIN Sports on the sidelines of the Asian Cup 2027 draw in Riyadh on Saturday night.

“We hope there are no injuries, and we hope to be fully prepared in terms of physical and mental readiness. If you want to compete in the World Cup, you must be ready.”

Qatar in tricky Asian Cup group

Qatar, seeking a third successive continental crown, were drawn alongside four-time champions Japan, Thailand and Indonesia in Group F of the Asian Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host from January 7, 2027.

“Qatar won the last two editions. We are proud of what has been achieved, but at the moment, we must focus on the next edition,” Lopetegui said.

“We have to prepare ourselves in the best possible way, especially since the draw has placed us with very strong teams. In particular, the Japanese team is always a favourite to win the Asian Cup. I believe they are the strongest team, along with the Qatari team.”

Lopetegui said every group-stage match would be demanding.

“These are demanding matches and you must always approach an Asian Cup match as if it were a final. We could talk about the strengths of other teams, but we must focus on ourselves.

“We are determined to be a major part of the 2027 Asian Cup, and this requires preparation and perseverance in our work. I know the fans who love the Qatari team expect a lot from them through their participation in the World Cup.”

MENAFN11052026000063011010ID1111095468