Qatar name preliminary 34-man squad for 2026 World Cup

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association has announced a preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the Gulf nation prepares for the tournament to be staged in North America from June 11 to July 19.

The 34-player squad, selected by Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui, combines experienced international players with a number of younger talents as Qatar look to build on their recent appearances on the global stage. sweetbonan.org

Among the most prominent names included are captain Hassan Al Haydos, forward Akram Afif, striker Almoez Ali and defender Pedro Miguel.

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The full squad also includes Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abu Nada, Salah Zakaria, Shehab Al Laithi, Ahmed Al Janahi, Ahmed Alaa, Ahmed Fathi, Tarek Salman, Edmilson Junior, Ayoub Al Lawati, Sultan Al Brake, Al Hashmi Al Hussein, Boualem Khoukhi, Bassam Al Rawi, Jassim Jaber, Nail Mason, Sebastian Soria, Ryan Al Ali, Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem, Issa Laay, Mohammed Manai, Karim Boudiaf, Lucas Mendes, Tahseen Mohammed, Mubarak Shanan, Homam Al Amin, Youssef Abdurisag, Mohammed Muntari and Mohammed Waad.

Qatar are scheduled to hold a training camp later this month, which will include two friendly matches aimed at fine-tuning preparations ahead of the tournament. They will face Republic of Ireland on May 28 before taking on El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6.

The Qataris will begin their World Cup campaign against Switzerland in San Francisco on June 13 before facing hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18 and concluding their group-stage fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.

The 2026 tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams and to be jointly hosted by three countries - the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Doha, Qatar: The fourth edition of the GCC Games Doha 2026 burst into life with a spectacular opening ceremony at the world-class Al Shaqab Indoor Arena yesterday, where vibrant performances lit up the night in a colourful celebration of regional unity.

President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, also the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the GCC Games Doha 2026, officially declared the multi-sport event open.

The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, Ministers, Presidents of the GCC Olympic committees, and senior sports officials, including HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee; H H Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee; H H Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, President of the Oman Olympic Committee; and Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, alongside a number of GCC sports leaders.

The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee; Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Games; and Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Affairs Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee and Director General of the Organizing Committee of the Games.

Set against a visually striking production blending sport, culture and heritage, the 30-minute show kept spectators enthralled from start to finish, as the spirit of the Gulf was brought alive through artistic displays and powerful staging.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony.

The ceremony was driven by striking visual storytelling and layered symbolism, all centred on the idea of unity and shared identity among the GCC nations. One of the standout moments of the night was the operetta “One Gulf, One Heart”, which paid tribute to the deep-rooted solidarity and common heritage binding the GCC countries together.

The production was conceived, written and composed by Faisal Ibrahim Al-Tamimi, and brought to life through a blend of musical and theatrical performances that captured the essence of Gulf brotherhood and collective identity.

With competition beginning today and running until May 22, as many as 1,400 male and female athletes from the six GCC nations will battle for honours across 17 disciplines, setting the stage for an intense and action-packed fortnight of sport.

“Doha is proud to host this fourth edition of the GCC Games, bringing together athletes and friends from across our region. At a time when the world faces many challenges and uncertainties, these Games reaffirm the important role sport can play in strengthening dialogue, cooperation and understanding between peoples. Sport continues to be one of the strongest platforms for unity and optimism across the Gulf region. We witnessed this clearly during the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, where all 45 National Olympic Committees of Asia came together in a remarkable celebration of sport and friendship,” said Sheikh Joaan.

“In Qatar, we strongly believe in the power of sport to build healthier, more connected and more united societies. Over the past two decades, Qatar has welcomed athletes, fans and delegations from around the world and hosted more than 20 World Championships. This legacy, which dates back to the Doha 2006 Asian Games, has provided us with world-class venues and expertise that today serve the ambitions of athletes from across the Gulf. We extend our appreciation to the GCC Federations, partners and organisers for their support of this event, and to every athlete competing in Doha 2026 — we wish them success in showcasing the true spirit of Gulf sport.”The GCC nations will battle for honours across 17 disciplines during Doha 2026.

QOC Secretary-General and Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee Al-Buenain said Doha’s hosting of the Games reflects Qatar’s ongoing commitment to Gulf sport and strengthening cooperation among GCC nations.

Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Games Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala said, “We witnessed an exceptional ceremony that conveyed the message of unity and shared destiny among the peoples of the Gulf, while reflecting Qatar’s outstanding organisational capabilities in hosting major sporting events.

Athletes will battle for medals in including handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling at 10 venues.

Hosts Qatar eye medals, set to begin campaign

Qatar will begin campaign today with home athletes stepping into action across multiple sports with competition across multiple venues.

With the opening rounds set to take place at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, Al Gharafa Sports Club and the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, home athletes will look to make an early impact at the regional sports fiesta. Several other sports will also launch begin their rounds today, marking the start of a packed sport schedule.

The swimming competitions kick off at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, where Qatar swimmers Saadeddin Saadeddin, Mohamed Mohamed and Emile Fouzai will begin their campaigns in the men’s events.

Saadeddin will compete in the men’s 800m freestyle heat, Mohamed Mohamed will line up in the 200m individual medley, while Emile Fouzai is entered in the 200m butterfly event. At the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, star cueist Ali Al Obaidali will compete in the men’s 10-ball singles competition.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball teams will begin their Pool A campaigns at Al Gharafa Club Hall with several games scheduled for today.

The Qatar women’s team will face Oman before taking on Kuwait later in the day, while the men’s side will meet the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait in successive Pool A fixtures.

Other events taking place today include men’s and women’s taekwondo preliminaries at Aspire Dome, table tennis men’s and women’s team qualification matches, and the men’s bowling singles competition at the Qatar Bowling Center.

The multi-sport event will continue with more and more sports disciplines joining the line-up over the coming days, with equestrian, fencing, boxing and shooting competitions scheduled to begin tomorrow, before Athletics and handball events start on Thursday. Volleyball, padel, snooker, archery and karate competitions will follow later in the programme at venues across Doha.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chess Association President Mohammed Al Mudahka has been appointed as Vice President of Gulf Chess Federation for 2026-27 term in accordance with established procedures and regulations, and based on the minutes of the General Assembly meeting held last December.

The Gulf Chess Federation also discussed updates regarding the preparation of the unified statutes for Gulf sports federations.

The Gulf Chess Federation also approved the organization of the 2026 Gulf Individual Junior Classic Championship for both males and females, to be held in the Emirate of Ajman from July 3 to 9, as part of its plans to develop age-group categories and allocate prizes for the winners.

London: Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, ruling him out of the club's Premier League run-in and the Champions League final, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

The medial knee ligament injury also means the 28-year-old is highly unlikely to feature for England in the World Cup in North America, which starts next month.

White left the London Stadium with a brace on his right knee after he was substituted in the first half of Arsenal's crucial 1-0 win against West Ham on Sunday.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta admitted shortly afterwards that White's injury "didn't look good at all", and the Premier League leaders have now confirmed he will be unavailable for their final two league games, and their European final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.

"Assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that Ben White has sustained a significant medial knee ligament injury, which will rule him out for the remainder of this season," Arsenal said in a statement.

"Our medical team are now managing Ben's recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting the aim of Ben being ready for the start of our pre-season preparations."

White's absence will provide Arteta with a selection headache at right-back for their pivotal games against Burnley, Crystal Palace and PSG, with Jurrien Timber also sidelined.

Arsenal, on track for their first Premier League title since 2004, are five points clear of Manchester City having played a game more.

Doha, Qatar: Spanish football star Lamine Yamal was spotted waving the Palestinian flag during Barcelona's celebrations on winning the La Liga title.

In video shared across social media, the 18-year-old Yamal can be seen waving a Palestinian flag from an open-top bus to the cheers of excited fans celebrating the team in Barcelona.

Barcelona secured their 29th Spanish league title after beating Real Madrid 2-0 in EL Clasico on Sunday.

???? Lamine Yamal lifts the Palestinian flag pic.twitter.com/s0yzYLvyX3

— Barça Spaces (@BarcaSpaces) May 11, 2026