Lopetegui to Lead Qatar to Its First World Cup After Spain Setback. Eight years after his controversial dismissal from Spain’s national team, Julen Lopetegui is set to make his World Cup debut—this time as head coach of Qatar. The new challenge demands a complete overhaul of his approach and adaptation to local conditions.
Julen Lopetegui, who found himself at the center of a major scandal ahead of the 2018 World Cup, will make his return to the tournament as a head coach eight years later—not with Spain, but with Qatar. In 2018, his dismissal two days before Spain's opening match became one of the most talked-about topics in Spanish football. Now, on June 13, 2026, Lopetegui is preparing Qatar for its World Cup debut, after the team qualified for the final stage on its own for the first time.
Lopetegui signed his contract with Qatar in May 2025, when their chances of reaching the tournament finals were minimal. The qualification campaign proved tough: the team had to defeat Iran, considered the strongest side in the region. The coaching staff had only a few weeks to get acquainted with the players and adapt tactics to local conditions.
The main challenge for Lopetegui was the limited player pool: the country has only about 300,000 citizens, and just a small fraction of them play football professionally. In the Qatari league, most of the players are foreigners, and many local athletes lack regular club practice. This forced the coach to fully rethink his methods and seek out new approaches to developing the team.
According to Lopetegui, the pressure on the national team was minimal: the goal of qualifying for the World Cup was seen more as a dream than an obligation. The country has a Talent program that allows young foreign players, after five years in the local league, to obtain citizenship and strengthen the national team. However, the coach emphasizes the importance of not losing national identity despite the influx of naturalized players.
Qatar's squad includes players with experience in Europe, such as one who spent part of a season with Spain’s Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. According to the coach, the European pace and intensity have noticeably improved his level of play and helped him adapt more quickly to the demands of international football.
Lopetegui himself admits that participating in the World Cup has served as personal motivation after his failure with Spain. He notes that he has already come to terms emotionally with the events of 2018 and holds no negative feelings toward former federation head Luis Rubiales, who made the decision to dismiss him at the time.
The system for developing young players in Qatar is built around the Aspire Academy, but the lack of local talent remains a serious problem. Unlike neighboring countries, Qatar only recently began to actively naturalize footballers, which should give the team a new boost in the coming years.
With the start of the 2026 World Cup approaching, interest in coaching appointments and team prospects remains high. For example, attention has recently focused on the work of Argentine specialist Martín Anselmi, who has taken charge of Elche and bet on an attacking style — details about his appointment also sparked discussion among fans and experts.
For reference: Qatar participated in the World Cup for the first time in 2022 as the host nation, but the team did not qualify that year. In 2026, the national team secured its place for the first time through the qualifying tournament. Lopetegui previously worked with Spain’s youth and senior national teams, as well as with clubs in La Liga and the English Premier League. His experience and adaptability to new conditions could be key for Qatar's performance in the tournament.
