Qatar national football team suffered a disappointing start to their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, falling to a 1-0 defeat against hosts Republic of Ireland national football team in an international friendly on Thursday night in Dublin.
The defeat marked the first outing for the reigning Asian champions under head coach Julen Lopetegui as the Maroons continue their build-up towards their second consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance.
Ireland struck the decisive blow just five minutes into the match when captain Nathan Collins powered home a header from a free-kick delivery, giving the hosts an early advantage that ultimately proved enough to secure victory.
Despite enjoying periods of possession and creating several promising attacking situations, Qatar struggled to break down a disciplined Irish defense and failed to find an equalizer.
The game took another twist just before halftime when Ireland were reduced to ten men after Jack Moylan received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Qatar defender Jassem Jaber in the 45th minute.
However, Qatar’s numerical advantage lasted only until the 78th minute when experienced forward Almoez Ali was shown a direct red card following an altercation with Irish midfielder Jason Molumby, leaving both teams to finish the match with ten players.
The friendly represented Qatar’s first preparation match after a previously scheduled encounter against Sudan in Doha was cancelled last week.
Ahead of the trip to Ireland, Lopetegui trimmed his preliminary World Cup squad by removing seven players, including veteran striker Sebastian Soria, defender Bassam Al-Rawi and experienced centre-back Tarek Salman.
The Spanish tactician currently retains a 28-man squad, with two more players set to be omitted before FIFA’s final 26-player World Cup roster deadline.
While the result was not what Qatar had hoped for, the match provided valuable insights as Lopetegui evaluates his squad options ahead of football’s biggest stage.
Qatar will now shift their preparations to the United States, where they will hold a training camp in Los Angeles before playing one final warm-up fixture against El Salvador national football team on June 6.
The upcoming friendly is expected to serve as the final opportunity for players to impress before the squad embarks on its World Cup campaign.
The Qataris will open their Group B campaign on June 13 in San Francisco against Switzerland national football team, before traveling to Vancouver to face hosts Canada men’s national soccer team on June 18.
Their group-stage journey will conclude on June 24 in Seattle with a crucial clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.
Credit Photo : QFA
