Al Sadd midfielder Mustafa Meshaal has become the latest Qatari footballer to move abroad after joining Belgian side KAS Eupen on loan until the end of the season.
The move follows last week’s agreement between Spanish second division club Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa and Al Duhail for the loan of defender Homam al-Amin for the remainder of the campaign.
Both transfers form part of the Qatar Football Association’s plan to send selected players overseas as part of preparations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The programme is also expected to include players who are not yet regular starters for their respective clubs.
KAS Eupen compete in the Challenger Pro League, the second tier of Belgian football, and are owned by Qatar Sports Investments. The club was previously under the Aspire Zone Foundation, which also hold a 99 percent controlling stake in Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.
In a statement issued Thursday, KAS Eupen said Meshaal “has good vision of the game and high passing accuracy” and can operate in central midfield in both attacking and defensive roles.
The 24-year-old has been with Al Sadd since 2019, winning the Qatar Stars League four times. He has earned 25 international caps and was part of Qatar’s squad that lifted the AFC Asian Cup in 2023.
Meanwhile, full-back al-Amin has previously played for KAS Eupen as well as Qatari clubs including Al Gharafa and Al Duhail. A full international since 2019, he represented Qatar at the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2021, the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Asian Cup triumph in 2023.
