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. newsbetting.club

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.”

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Doha, Qatar: Sport enthusiasts in the Gulf region will be in for a treat from today when the 4th edition of the GCC Games, Doha 2026, officially get underway with the participation of over 1,000 athletes from the six member nations.

Qatar will field a 300-strong contingent at the prestigious multi-sport event, which will continue until May 22.

The organisers have lined up a grand opening ceremony today at Al Shaqab Arena, which is set to be attended by a number of dignitaries and officials, including the presidents of National Olympic Committees, secretaries-general.

Today’s grand opening ceremony will carry the theme “One Gulf, One Heart”, and will see multiple performances which will highlight the shared identity and solidarity of the Gulf people. The organising committee, led by Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, will aim to deliver an event that is befitting Qatar’s global reputation as a premier destination for major international events.

The Games will see the athletes compete across 17 sports, including athletics, handball, volleyball, swimming, equestrian, boxing, taekwondo, karate, fencing, shooting, archery, padel, bowling, table tennis, billiards, snooker and 3x3 basketball.Athletes from Kuwait participating in the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 upon their arrival in Doha yesterday.

The action begins tomorrow, with swimming events taking place at the Hamad Aquatic Centre and 3x3 basketball matches at Al Gharafa Club Hall.

Aspire Dome will host taekwondo and table tennis competitions, while billiards events will be staged at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall. Bowling competitions will take place at the Qatar Bowling Center.

Equestrian events will begin on Wednesday at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, while fencing and boxing competitions will also get underway at Aspire Dome. Shooting contests are scheduled at the Lusail Shooting Range.

Athletics competitions start on Thursday at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, alongside handball action at the Duhail Sports Hall.

Snooker competitions will begin on Friday at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while volleyball and padel events are scheduled to start next Saturday at the Women’s Sports Hall and Aspire Dome respectively. Archery competitions are set for next Sunday at the Lusail Shooting Range, and karate events will be held on May 21 at Aspire Dome on the penultimate day.

Historically, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been the dominant nations at the GCC Games, with Kuwait topping the medal standings at the inaugural edition in Bahrain in 2011 and again when it hosted the third edition in 2022. Saudi Arabia emerged as overall champions at the second edition held in Dammam in 2015. Qatar secured third place at both the 2011 and 2015 editions before finishing fifth in 2022.

Competition venues

Swimming: May 12-15 - Hamad Aquatic Centre
3x3 basketball: May 12-14 - Al Gharafa Sports Club
Taekwondo: May 12-13 - Aspire Dome
Table tennis: May 12-13 - Aspire Dome
Billiards: May 12-15 - Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation
Bowling: May 12-17 - Qatar Bowling Centre
Equestrian: May 13-15 - Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club
Fencing: May 13-16 - Aspire Dome
Boxing: May 13-15 - Aspire Dome
Shooting: May 13-20 - Lusail Range
Athletics: May 14-17 - Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium
Handball: May 14-22 - Duhail Sports Hall
Snooker: May 15-19 - Women's Sports Hall
Volleyball: May 16-19 - Women's Sports Hall
Padel: Until May 20 - Aspire Dome
Archery: May 17-21 - Lusail Shooting Range
Karate: May 21 - Aspire Dome