Pragmatic Queiroz injects fresh blood, targets 2026 World Cup spot for Qatar

After a disappointing 2022 World Cup, if the football fans in Qatar were craving for a new dawn then Carlos Queiroz has answered the call.
The veteran Portuguese coach, who took over from Felix Sanchez after the World Cup debacle where the hosts lost all three of their group matches, revealed a fresh-look squad yesterday for the Gold Cup, which will be held in the United States of America and Canada from June 24 to July 16.
Captain Hassan al-Haydos, star striker Akram Afif, Karim Boudiaf, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdulaziz Hatem and Saad al-Sheeb were among the seniors who were left out of the 26-member squad as Queiroz said he was determined to lead Qatar into the 2026 World Cup.
Since his appointment in February on a four-year deal, Queiroz has meticulously drafted a new road map for the Qatar team. The experienced coach yesterday spoke about short, medium and long term plans as the 70-year-old plots a revival of the Qatar team – which after the high of maiden Asian Cup triumph in 2019 could just not reach the promised level.
In a free-wheeling chat with reporters yesterday, Queiroz conceded the journey ahead “would not be a sprint but a marathon’ and said it was his “dream to help Qatar qualify for the first time in the World Cup.”
If Queiroz is successful in his 2026 World Cup mission, it would be his fifth appearance at the finals, having led his native Portugal in 2010 before taking Iran to the tournaments in Brazil, Russia and Qatar.
“I have 44 years of experience with me but I feel like I am starting a new career. I am very excited and it’s a privilege for me to lead the Qatar team for which I am thankful to the Qatar Football Association and all the fans. It’s my new home, my new family and it is not a time to make promises but to deliver,” the Portuguese said yesterday.
In the four months he has been in Qatar, Queiroz admitted to having seen 23 matches of the Al Annabi till the Gulf Cup and numerous domestic matches. “I continued to watch them day and night,” he said with a smile.
Queiroz has retained few from the World Cup squad like Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntari, Bassam al-Rawi, Assim Madebo and Tariq Salman but the Gold Cup squad mostly consists of players who featured at the Gulf Cup in January.
After pruning the squad to 26 from 41 players after a short camp, Queiroz regularly spoke about ‘talent and performance identification’ but said the doors were always open for the seniors to make a comeback.
Identifying talent has been Queiroz’s forte in the past. It is well known that Queiroz convinced Alex Ferguson to sign the then-teenager Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United in 2003. He also played a vital role in shaping the careers of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto as Queiroz led Portugal to world youth championships in 1989 and 1991. For Qatar football, there could not have been a better coach to guide the next generation as he looks to rebuild of personnel and confidence.
“It’s not a question of exclusion but it is about inclusion of new players who are rewarded for their performances. The word exclusion is not in my dictionary. Also, it is a right decision to rest some players. It’s time for them to have a break away from stress,” Queiroz explained on his decision to blood youngsters in the team.
“I want to open a window for young players and give them opportunities. The youngsters in the squad have only one or two international appearances, they will be given enough opportunity to express themselves on the pitch. The selection will be based on talent and performance identification. My job is to make the right decision. So I was clear with this in my mind. I want a minimum of six players for one position and build competition for places. We need a strong group of players and make it a large pool for selection to the Qatar team. It’s still a long way to go,” he added.
Queiroz knows his first test will be to help Qatar defend their Asian Cup title at home next January. “Qatar won the 2019 Asian Cup. But, today, we are ranked sixth in Asia – five other Asian teams are in front of us. Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are ahead of us. Then we have Iraq and the UAE,” Queiroz.
“This is exactly the mountain we need to climb. We have to challenge ourselves against top Asian teams. We need to be ready to defend the Asian title. It won’t be easy but we need to stand up and work hard every day. On the pitch we have lots of things to do. Qatar needs to win consistently and not just win here and there. If we have to be the best, we need to be the best and compete and challenge the best,” he added.
Queiroz also said Qatar’s 2026 World Cup would start on November 13, 2023, referring to the start of the qualification period for the next football showpiece, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“To qualify for the World Cup is the ultimate goal. 2023 November our World Cup will start. This is our trophy. We don’t have too much time. We have 183 days to start our World Cup. We cannot climb a mountain with one step, we have to take many steps,” he said.
Qatar will open their Gold Cup campaign against Haiti at the NRG Stadium in Houston on June 24. The Asian Champions then take on Honduras on June 29 in Glendale, Arizona before wrapping up their Group B matches against heavyweights Mexico on July 2 in Santa Clara, California.
Queiroz will hold a preparation camp for Vienna, Austria from June 1. In Vienna, Qatar will play three friendly matches – against a Croatian side made up of local players on June 8, versus Jamaica on June 15 and against New Zealand four days later. Qatar players will leave for the USA on June 20.

Qatar Gold Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Jassim al-Hail (Al Arabi), Mishaal Barshim (Al Sadd), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Youssef Hassan (Al Gharafa)
Defenders: Hazem Ahmed (Al Wakrah), Ahmed Suhail, Jassem Jaber (Al Arabi), Tariq Salman, Musab Khader (Al Sadd), Bassam al-Rawi, Mohamed al-Nuaimi, Youssef Ayman (Al Duhail), Hammam al-Amin (Al Gharrafa)
Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi, Abdullah al-Maarafi (Al Arabi), Asim Madebo (Al Duhail), Ali Asad, Mohamed Waad, Mahdi Salem (Al Sadd), Mustafa Mishaal (Al Shamal)
Forwards: Ahmed Alaa (Al Gharafa), Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntari (Al Duhail), Tamim Mansour (Al Rayyan), Khaled Mounir, Youssef Abdelrazzaq (Al Wakrah)