Qatar made its World Cup debut as hosts in 2022 – and were knocked out in the group stage without securing a single win. In 2026, the team will compete as a regular participant under new manager Julen Lopetegui, having qualified via the AFC qualifiers. This marks an important step forward for Qatari football.

Manager Julen Lopetegui has named three goalkeepers for Al Annabi: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada and Salah Zakaria. Qatar is taking part in a World Cup for the second time, following the 2022 home World Cup, where the team became the first host nation in history to be eliminated in the group stage. In Group D, they face Argentina, Egypt and hosts Canada. The trio of goalkeepers all play for clubs in the Qatar Stars League, a squad that deliberately focuses on the domestic league.

Barsham is 28 years old; he was born in Khartoum, Sudan, to Sudanese parents and grew up in Doha. He holds both Qatari and Sudanese citizenship and has been part of the Al-Sadd youth academy, the country’s most prestigious club, since his early teens. At the 2022 World Cup on home soil, he was still a backup to Saad Al Sheeb and did not feature. What followed was a rapid rise: at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, he started in all of Qatar’s matches, kept a clean sheet in the final against Jordan and was voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper. With six Qatar Stars League titles, over 218 club appearances for Al Sadd and now 54 international caps, he is the most experienced and consistent goalkeeper Qatar currently has. Lopetegui, who took charge of Qatar in May 2025, quickly built his plans around him as the backbone of the squad for the tournament.

Barsham is compact, quick to react and particularly strong at saving penalties. What sets him apart in Qatar’s systematic style of play is his precision in building up play, a trait that is more crucial than ever under the tactically demanding Lopetegui.

Abunada plays for Al Rayyan, one of the country’s most historic clubs, and is Lopetegui’s second-choice goalkeeper. He brings tournament experience to the table: he was also part of the squad for the 2022 World Cup, though he did not feature. Since then, he has established himself as a reliable backup, featuring in the Qatar Stars League and in the AFC Champions League qualifying rounds. As the second-choice keeper, his role is to challenge Barsham in training every day and to be ready at all times.

Zakaria is 26 years old, was born in Al-Sharqiyah in Egypt, and holds both Qatari and Egyptian citizenship. His club career has taken him from Al-Wakrah to a short loan spell at Al-Gharafa and, since January 2021, to Al-Duhail, the only club where Qatar national team coaches such as Marco Verratti and other top European players are under contract. This season, he has been the first-choice goalkeeper there, making 30 league appearances. With just six international caps since 2022, he is the least experienced international goalkeeper of the trio, but has earned Lopetegui’s trust through consistent club performances.