Al Wakrah and Qatar SC will kick off the 2026-27 Qatar Stars League season on Thursday at Lusail Stadium, while Al Rayyan face newly promoted Lusail at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
The opening round will be played over three days, with all matches taking place at air-conditioned stadiums. Lusail will make their top-flight debut after winning the second division last season to secure promotion.
The new season also brings changes to player registration regulations, with teams now allowed to field seven foreign players from a maximum squad of 10 foreign players. All 12 participating teams have completed their preparations and enter the new season with high hopes and ambitions.
Al Sadd, the competition's most successful club with 19 titles and the reigning champions for the past three seasons, will begin their title defence against Al Ahli on Saturday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The champions will look to make a strong start under new Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu, who replaced Italian Roberto Mancini. Al Sadd will rely on the likes of Akram Afif, Brazilian duo Roberto Firmino and Claudinho, and Spanish striker Rafa Mujica.
Al Sadd held their pre-season camp in Austria, where Lucescu worked on preparing the squad for the new campaign, with the team also targeting a strong run in the AFC Champions League.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, will be hoping to avoid defeat against the champions and establish themselves as contenders under new Spanish coach Borja Jimenez. The club strengthened its squad during the summer, most notably with the signing of French midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud from Al Duhail.
Former champions Al Duhail will face Al Sailiya at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday. Al Duhail had a poor season last season, finishing fifth and will be aiming for a stronger campaign as they seek to return to the upper reaches of the table. The Red Knights completed their pre-season preparations in Amsterdam and will be eager to make a strong start.
Al Sailiya, meanwhile, are back in the top flight and will look to build on their first season after promotion. They finished 10th last season and have strengthened their squad ahead of the new campaign.
Al Wakrah face Qatar SC today, with both teams seeking a positive start to their campaigns.
Al Wakrah will be led by Chilean coach Jose Luis Serra, who hopes to guide the team back towards the top after they finished eighth last season. The club held its pre-season camp in France and will rely on players including Egyptian Hamdi Fathi and Tunisian Issa El Aidouni.
Qatar SC, coached by Spaniard Marquez Lopez, are aiming for a much-improved campaign after finishing sixth last season. The club last won the league title in 2002-03 and will hope to challenge for honours again.
Qatar SC completed their preparations with a training camp in Spain and strengthened their squad with several new signings, including Brazilian Bruno Tabata.
Lopez said he was pleased with the team's preparations ahead of the opener. "I am very happy with the start of a new season, and I am happy with the effort, work and commitment I have seen from the players during the preparation period, as well as the team's ability to implement the ideas we have worked on," he said.
"During the season, we look forward to implementing what we have worked on, and we hope to succeed in achieving our goals," he added.
Al Rayyan will face Lusail tomorrow at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, with the eight-time champions looking for a strong start after finishing third last season and narrowly missing out on the title.
Al Rayyan know their newly promoted opponents will provide a stern test and will need to be at their best under Spanish coach Vicente Moreno.
The club is also preparing for its AFC Champions League 2 campaign in September. Al Rayyan have retained the core of their squad, renewing Brazilian striker Roger Guedes' contract until 2031 and signing Ahmed al-Janahi from Al Gharafa.
Lusail, meanwhile, know their top-flight debut will demand focus and consistency as they seek to prove they belong among Qatar's best teams. The newly promoted side have strengthened their squad with Spanish striker Rodrigo Moreno, Argentinian defender Franco Russo and Iranian midfielder Omid Ebrahimi.
Lusail coach Emanuel Mesquita said: "We are extremely happy to be among the best teams in Qatar and to have the opportunity to compete against them. We are incredibly excited to start the competition and show what we are capable of.”
He added: Al Rayyan are a strong team, but after a very good preparation period, we are ready to show what we can do. Now that we are in the Qatar Stars League, we want to prove to everyone that we deserve to be here and to compete among the best."
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa will look to start strongly when they face Al Shahania tomorrow at Khalifa International Stadium. Al Gharafa finished fourth last season after challenging for the league title and went on to win the Emir Cup for the second consecutive year.
The seven-time champions have renewed the contract of Portuguese coach Pedro Martins and retained Algerian Yacine Brahimi and Tunisian Ferjani Sassi. Spanish striker Joselu, however, has left the club after two seasons.
Al Shahania secured their place in the league through a playoff victory over Al Kharaitiyat and will be aiming for a more consistent campaign after struggling last season. The club appointed former Qatar international Younes Ali as coach and have high hopes that he can improve the team's performances and results.
At Al Thumama Stadium, Al Arabi will face Al Shamal tomorrow as both sides look to make a positive start after strengthening their squads during the summer transfer window.
Al Shamal finished runners-up last season for the first time in their history and remained in contention for the title until the final rounds. They will be eager to build on that achievement under Spanish coach David Prats and continue their upward trajectory.
Fixtures
Thursday: Al Wakrah vs Qatar SC at Lusail Stadium (5:15pm); Al Rayyan vs Lusail at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (7:30pm)
Friday: Al Gharafa vs Al Shahania at Khalifa Stadium (5:15pm); Al Arabi vs Al Shamal at Al Thumama Stadium (7:30pm)
Saturday: Al Duhail vs Al Sailiya at Al Bayt Stadium (5:15pm); Al Sadd vs Al Ahli at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium at (7:30pm)
