Washington: Secretary General of the Qatar Football Association (QFA), Mansour Al Ansari stated that the final draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held Friday in Washington placed the Qatari team in a challenging group alongside strong teams with prior World Cup experience.

According to Qatar News Agency, Al Ansari explained that participating in the upcoming World Cup finals requires a high level of preparation, especially after identifying the teams competing against Qatar in the group. He emphasized that QFA will work to provide all the necessary resources for the national team's coaching staff, led by Spaniard Julen Lopetegui, to ensure the team is well-prepared for the finals, where they aspire to perform at a level that meets expectations.

Meanwhile, assistant coach of the Qatari team, Oscar Caro noted in similar remarks to QNA that 'Al-Adaam' (Qatar national team) is in a difficult group with teams that have extensive experience in such tournaments and possess players who compete in major leagues. He added that the World Cup finals feature the best teams and require special preparation to achieve results that meet expectations.

He also affirmed that the Qatari team's second World Cup appearance will be better than its previous participation on home soil in the 2022 edition in Qatar.

The draw placed the Qatari national team in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland, and the winner of the first European play-off, which will feature Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and Northern Ireland.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with 48 teams participating for the first time.