Qatar skipper Hassan al-Haydos has retired from international football, the country’s Football Association (QFA) announced Saturday, bringing down the curtain on a 16-year career highlighted by back-to-back Asian Cup victories.
Al-Haydos, who made his international debut in 2008, is the most capped player for Qatar with 182 appearances, scoring 41 times.
The 33-year-old netted twice in the Asian Cup earlier this year as hosts Qatar won their second title, beating Jordan in the final. He was also captain when Qatar won their first title in 2019 and was named in the team of the tournament in both editions.
“The Qatari Football Association extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to the captain of our national team, Hassan al-Haydos, following his decision to retire from international football after a long career,” the QFA said in a statement. “Words cannot thank you enough over the past years, the leader on and off the field, Hassan al-Haydos. Always in our hearts.”
Al-Haydos will continue to play for his club Al Sadd, who are top of the standings in the Qatar Stars League. He made his debut for Qatar in 2008, and duly won the Best Young Player by the Qatar Football Association. He was also named the Best Player of the Year in 2015. He went on to participate in the AFC Asian Cup four times: in the Qatar 2011 edition, Australia 2015, UAE 2019, and Qatar 2023. Apart from two Asian Cup triumphs, al-Haydos was also part of Qatar’s Gulf Cup victory in 2014.
Al-Haydos expressed his gratitude towards His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani by sharing a photo of himself alongside His Highness on social media, captioned: “Words of thanks fall short in the face of your continuous support and your stand with me throughout my journey with the national team.”
In a video posted late Friday night, al-Haydos, sitting alongside coach Marquez Lopez, is seen addressing a group and telling them: “You’re all heroes and you have an important task ahead of you, to qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in Qatar’s history and we all have confidence in you.”
Al-Haydos, who could also drop into central midfield and on the right wing, was one of Qatar’s star performers during their historic 2019 Asian Cup triumph.
His personality on the pitch has shone consistently throughout his career. Whether it be his late winning goal against Japan in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers, or his famous penalty shootout heroics for his club Al Sadd against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2011, he has shown character in abundance. It can be argued that he is among the most influential players in the team.

FACTFILE
Full Name: Hassan Khalid Hassan al-Haydos
Club: Al Sadd
Shirt Number: 10
Age: 33
Born: 11-12-1990
Height: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Positions: Midfielder
Youth career
1998–2007 Al-Sadd
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007– Al-Sadd 323 (98)
International career
2007–2009 Qatar U-20 (4 matches, 4 goals)
2007–2013 Qatar U-23 (14 matches, 6 goals)
2008–2024 Qatar (182 matches, 41 goals)
• Hassan al-Haydos, born in Doha on December 11, 1990, started his career as a tennis player, but also used to play football with his friends.
• He played for the Qatar senior team at age 17.
• He appeared in the Qatar U-23 team for the first time in 2007, coming off the bench to score a late goal against Japan in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers and contribute to the 2-1 victory.
• He also played a major role in the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers when he became captain of Al Annabi. He scored a goal against India and played in all the group stage matches.
HonoursQatarAFC Asian Cup: 2019, 2023
Gulf Cup of Nations: 2014
Al Sadd
Qatar Stars League: 2006–07, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
Amir Cup: 2007, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021
Qatar Cup: 2007, 2008, 2017, 2020, 2021
Sheikh Jassem Cup: 2007, 2014, 2017, 2019
Qatari Stars Cup: 2010, 2019-20
AFC Champions League: 2011
FIFA Club World Cup third place: 2011
IndividualQatar Football Association
Most Promising Player: 2008
Estad Doha Qatar Player of the Year: 2014
Qatar Football Association Player of the Year: 2015
AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2019, 2023