Four years after hosting the tournament, Qatar arrive at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as back-to-back Asian champions with a point to prove. The draw has placed Al Annabi in Group B alongside Switzerland, co-hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina — demanding, but as open as any group Qatar could realistically have hoped for.

Match 1: Qatar vs Switzerland — June 13, 22:00 Doha

Qatar open against the group's top seed at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Switzerland are the model of tournament consistency — they have reached the knockout rounds at five of the last six major tournaments — but they have also been vulnerable to organised, counter-attacking sides. That is precisely what Qatar have become.

Match 2: Canada vs Qatar — June 19, 01:00 Doha

The co-hosts in front of their own fans at BC Place in Vancouver. Canada's athleticism and set-piece threat make them the group's most physical test, but home pressure cuts both ways. A point here would be a famous result.

Match 3: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar — June 24, 22:00 Doha

The group-stage finale in Seattle, and very possibly a knockout-place decider against the group's lowest-ranked European side. Win it, and Qatar are almost certainly through.

The format favours the brave

With 48 teams, the top two in each group advance — plus the eight best third-placed teams. That safety net means four points will very likely be enough, and even three with a healthy goal difference could do it. Qatar's three matches in 2022 brought three defeats; a single point in 2026 would be historic, and the round of 32 is genuinely within reach.

The key men

Everything flows through Akram Afif, twice the AFC Player of the Year and the star of the 2023 Asian Cup triumph. Almoez Ali brings tournament pedigree up front, while the Aspire-generation core that won two continental titles gives this squad something the 2022 side never had: the certainty that they belong on this stage.