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Wendeson Wanderley Santos de Melo – better known as Dell – wears the mantle of comparison with a maturity that belies his age. Dubbed the Hinterland Haaland, or the Haaland of the Sertão, in reference to his backcountry roots in north-eastern Brazil, the teenage sensation is unfazed by being measured against one of the most formidable goalscorers the game has ever seen.In the lead-up to Brazil’s campaign at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, Dell spoke exclusively to FIFA and revealed his admiration for his Norwegian counterpart.“Haaland is the player I look up to the most,” he said. “Whenever I can, I make time to watch his matches and videos, observing his behaviour both on and off the pitch. I study his positioning and movement in and around the box.”Though some may have dismissed the comparison, Dell prefers to embrace it, fuelling his inspiration to narrow the gap between himself and his idol.“I like the nickname because he’s someone I admire – I’m used to it now.”It is more than Dell’s physical traits that have drawn comparisons to Haaland – he plays like him too. The Bahia sharpshooter is a natural goalscorer, combining explosive speed with a cool head in front of goal, especially when it matters most. In 2023, he bagged 40 goals in 34 outings for Bahia’s U-17s, paving the way for him to step up to the U-20s and then the senior side.The South American U-17 Championship also bore witness to his brilliance earlier this year. He delivered when the Seleção needed him most, netting the only goal of the game against Chile in the semi-finals. He was then handed the responsibility of taking the decisive spot-kick in the final shootout against Colombia, which he dispatched with trademark composure.“There’s actually no big secret,” he laughed “It’s the result of a lot of hard work, both here at Bahia and with the national team. It’s important to always have faith, ambition and joy. The goals I scored were crucial in helping us reach the final and clinch the title. I’m so grateful, because even when times got tough I never lost faith and always trusted that we’d pull through.”Dell will now have the opportunity to strut his stuff at the on the global stage, having been called up by coach Dudu Patetuci. Brazil kick off their campaign against Honduras on 4 November.“Playing for Brazil is another dream come true," he continued."We won the South American title – now it’s time to go for the World Cup. I’m truly honoured and delighted to be playing for my country.”It is the first time that three Bahia players have been called up to represent the Canarinho at a global showpiece. Dell will be joined in Qatar by fellow forward Ruan Pablo and goalkeeper Arthur Jampa.“It’s also special to be representing the national team alongside two of my club team-mates, Jampa and Ruan Pablo," he stated. "We’ll be going for the title with Brazil after working together every day at Bahia. We trust in the coaching staff and want to make our fans proud by being good ambassadors for Brazilian football and Bahia.”This will be the biggest U-17 World Cup ever, with 48 teams set to compete for the coveted crown, and the final set for Khalifa International Stadium, one of the venues used at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. While keeping his feet on the ground, Dell is dreaming big and hoping to make it all the way to the decider.“(Playing at Khalifa International Stadium) is an added incentive for us – FIFA nailed it with that one," he said. "It’s special to be able to play in a stadium where some of the world’s greatest stars have featured at the World Cup.“We all dream of one day playing for the senior national team. Doing well at this World Cup would bring that dream ever closer. Pulling on the shirt of the world’s greatest national team would undoubtedly be a huge privilege.”

Only 10 days remain for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, which will see 48 teams from across the globe convene in Qatar from November 3-27 to compete for the coveted trophy.All eyes will be on Qatar, as the country gets set to host the youth tournament for the first time. The hosts will be looking to improve on their best finish, when they claimed fourth place in the 1991 edition of the tournament that took place in Italy – becoming the first Qatari team to reach the Third-Place Playoff.Jassim al-Tamimi, who captained the 1991 U-17 team at the time, recounts the country’s historic achievement 34 years ago and the significance that the tournament continues to hold for young players.“My beginnings were like any Qatari youth, playing football in the neighbourhood. When I was selected to be part of the team for the 1991 U-17 World Cup, it was a dream come true,” said al-Tamimi, who eventually played for the Qatar senior national team from 1996–2004.During the 1991 tournament, al-Tamimi’s squad was drawn into Group B, alongside Australia, Congo and Mexico. After a slow start with a 0-0 draw against Congo, and a 1-0 defeat to Mexico, al-Tamimi’s winning goal in the 76th minute against Australia, launched the Young Maroons out of the group stage.The team would go on to beat the USA in the quarter-finals, before losing to eventual champions Ghana in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals. Despite narrowly losing to Argentina in the third-place Playoff, the Young Maroons made history by finishing fourth in the tournament.“We became the first Qatari team in the youth category to make it to this stage. This was a tremendous achievement. The joy was indescribable and the whole country was celebrating with us. This experience became the gateway to my football career,” said al-Tamimi, who went on to achieve 100 caps for his country.With Qatar now set to make its eighth appearance at the tournament, a new generation of players will be looking to make the country proud. Hosts Qatar have been drawn into Group A, alongside Italy, South Africa and Bolivia, and will play their first match against Italy on November 3, 6:45pm.“Playing in the U-17 World Cup will be an unforgettable experience for our young players. I hope it becomes a wonderful memory for them, just like it was for me. It is an honour for any player to represent their national team at the highest level,” said al-Tamimi.“Hosting tournaments such as the World Cup in Qatar will serve as a launch point for emerging talents and future stars. Qatar has already surpassed many developed football nations in terms of its sporting infrastructure and organisational abilities. It is now time for our young players to put Qatar amongst the top-ranked teams in the world,” he added.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, taking place at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone, will see as many as eight matches a day, for a total of 104 matches. The final will take place on November 27, 7pm, at Khalifa International Stadium.Fans can purchase tickets at: www.roadtoqatar.qa Tickets are available as a Day Pass, which will enable fans to attend multiple matches a day as well as cultural and entertainment activities taking place around matches, in what will be an electrifying football festival-like atmosphere.Fans can also purchase a Prime Pass, which will enable them to reserve seats for high demand matches. Supporters of the Qatar national team can avail the Follow My Team ticket, which will enable them to attend all matches of the Qatari U-17 team during the group stage.All tickets will be digital and will include wheelchair accessible seating options for disabled fans.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar is the first of five consecutive editions that Qatar will be hosting. As the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams, this will be the biggest-ever edition of the youth tournament that saw the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Luis Figo, Xavi Hernandez, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti appear on the world stage for the first time.Qatar’s spectacular line-up of mega-sporting events will kick off with the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar from November 3-27, followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar from December 1-18. In addition, the country is also set to host the second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025, which will take place on December 10, 13 and 17.

A torrential downpour once again called the tune in Colombo as the Women's Cricket World Cup fixture between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was abandoned after just 4.2 overs on Friday.Heavy rain refused to relent, leaving players and fans drenched in disappointment. It was the last game in the Colombo leg of the tournament.Of the 11 matches staged in the Sri Lankan capital, five ended in no-results, forcing teams to split points.Several other games too were rain-disrupted, prompting questions as to whether Colombo's monsoon-prone month was the right window to stage a global event.Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have borne the brunt of inclement weather, with three of their seven outings each washed down the drain.On Friday, the toss was delayed by more than three hours and the game was trimmed to 34 overs per side.Pakistan had reached 18 without loss when the heavens opened again. Despite the tireless efforts of the ground staff, match officials finally threw in the towel at 8:00 pm local time with parts of the outfield still under water.Sri Lanka climbed to fifth in the points table with five points, courtesy of one win and a point each from their three washed out games.They will stay there if England defeat New Zealand on Sunday, ensuring the islanders finish above the White Ferns. It's a commendable outcome for a side that had failed to qualify for the previous World Cup in New Zealand in 2022."We cannot control the weather. It has been very disappointing. We came into this tournament with lots of hope as we had beaten teams like India, New Zealand and South Africa in the recent past. But not much went our way in this campaign," Sri Lanka's captain Chamari Athapaththu said.Pakistan ended their campaign without a single win, finishing in seventh place, one ahead of Bangladesh in the eight nation competition with all their points coming through rain affected games."The weather didn't go in our favour. ICC must look into the best venues for World Cups. We are waiting for four years for a World Cup and it's disappointing to finish like this," Pakistan captain Fatima Sana said.

The Qatar International Baja will be the penultimate round of the FIM Bajas World Cup on November 6th-8th. While competitors in the FIA World Baja Cup wait for the outcome of this weekend’s Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal before the latest championship standings are known before the Lusail-based event, riders competing in the FIM category are already making final preparations for their title-deciding rounds in Qatar and Dubai.This year’s FIM Bajas World Cup is being fought out over just seven counting rounds after the Hungarian Baja pulled out of the series in August. Action began across the deserts of north-central Saudi Arabia for the Hail Baja at the start of February and then moved on to the narrow and twisty gravel tracks of Portugal for the Baja Escuderia Castelo Branco in wet conditions.British rider Alex McInnes claimed his maiden win on the series opener and then Junior rider Martin Ventura got the better of Jorge Brandao and Paulo Cardoso to win in Portugal.MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed al-Balooshi then confirmed his fifth victory at the Jordan Baja in April, an event that was held across the spectacular desert terrain of Wadi Rum in the south of the Hashemite Kingdom. That victory pushed the defending champion into title contention.The series then returned to Europe for back-to-back Bajas in Spain. Professional Honda rider Tosha Schareina overcame tricky muddy conditions to get the better of Javi Vega at the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura at the start of May. Lorenzo Santolino then guided his Sherco to victory over Neels Theric and Vega in the Teruel-based Baja Spain Aragón in the heat of the Spanish summer.Entries closed Wednesday for the event being organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the final lists will be announced on October 29th.But Dubai-based al-Balooshi is expected to take the start with a nine-point advantage over his Lebanese team-mate Rafic Eid in the overall 450cc riders’ championship. Vega is third in the rankings, ahead of Brandao, Cardoso and a tying Santolino, Schareina, Ventura and McInnes. Tragically, Brandao lost his life while competing at the recent W2RC event in Morocco. Rafic Eid leads the Veterans’ category by six points from al-Balooshi.The FIM Bajas World Cup also has a well-supported Ladies’ category. Alona Ben Natan leads the way on 58 points and has an eight-point cushion over Spaniard Sara Garcia Alvarez. Equador’s Maria Taranto is third, five points in front of Sarah Khuraibet from Kuwait. Kove Factory Racing’s Lili-may Mansuy and the Duust Rally Team’s Joanna Modrzewska are also in the points’ hunt.Polish rider Konrad Dabrowksi won the Qatar International Baja outright on two wheels in 2022 and 2023. He currently trails Spain’s Victor Manuel Moya Aguilera by 13 points in the race to become the leading Junior rider in 2025. Dabrowski rides for the Duust Rally Team and is tied in second place in the standings with Jordan’s Abdullah Al-Batayneh, Ventura and McInnes.Experienced Saudi rider Hani al-Noumesi won last year’s Qatar International Baja in the quad category and has a 16-point advantage in the FIM’s quad standings over Frenchman Antoine Sanchez and Portugal’s Fernando Jorge Sampaio.Frenchman Jerome Connart and the Saudi duo of Haitham al-Tuwaijri and Abdulaziz al-Shayban are also in the hunt. Administration and technical scrutineering will be based at Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit on Tuesday, November 4th with re-scrutineering for any FIA vehicles on Wednesday, November 5th.Competitive action will then take centre stage from Thursday, November 6th through to Saturday, November 8th over a total route of 773.83km and 453.21 competitive kilometres.

With the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ set to kick off in less than two weeks, the UAE U- 17 national team is finalising preparations for what promises to be a landmark tournament for youth football globally.Scheduled from 3-27 November, the competition marks the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature 48 teams, with Qatar set to host five consecutive editions through 2029.Drawn into Group C alongside Senegal, Croatia and Costa Rica, the UAE U- 17 national team will begin their journey on 3 November at Aspire Park’s Pitch 8 against Costa Rica. For the young Emirati players, this competition is the realisation of a lifelong dream.Goalkeeper Jassim Al Hammadi looks forward to playing in Qatar after it successfully hosted a historic edition of the FIFA World Cup™: "As a fan, it was a wonderful experience to watch the World Cup in Qatar and now being able to play and train in the same facilities used by Messi and Ronaldo is really exciting."He added: "We take great responsibility and pride in playing football at the U-17 World Cup. I want to give my best for the UAE and play for the first team in the future."While Al Hammadi draws inspiration from football's greats, his teammate Abdulrahman Al Awani is focused on making his own mark. For the young player, this tournament represents uncharted territory. "This is the first major tournament I will be playing in. I am confident we will do well. I hope to make my family and country proud. Football means everything to me."Having witnessed Qatar's preparations first-hand, assistant coach and former UAE player Nawaf Mubarak is impressed by what awaits the teams. "Qatar hosted an amazing World Cup and showed its capabilities to the world. The sporting infrastructure is impressive. The country is beautiful. Everything from hotels to stadiums, and transportation is world-class."For Mubarak, the team’s ambitions are clear and bold. "In this World Cup, we hope to advance as far as possible and to showcase to the world the true potential of our country as strong contenders in international football."The tournament's unique hosting concept will see all 104 matches contested at Aspire Zone's Competition Complex.All tickets will be digital, with Day Passes available for just QAR 20, allowing fans to watch multiple matches throughout the day while enjoying cultural and entertainment activities. Supporters of the Qatar National Team can avail the Follow My Team package to follow the young Maroons through every group stage match.Accessible tickets, including wheelchair-accessible seats are available throughout the tournament. Requests for accessible tickets can be submitted to [email protected] tournament will culminate on 27 November at the Khalifa International Stadium, with tickets to the Final available across two categories, starting from QAR 15.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ marks the beginning of an exceptional period of elite football competition in Qatar. Taking place from 3-27 November, the tournament will be followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ on 1-18 December and the second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025™ on 10, 13, and 17 December.For tickets and the full match schedule, visit www.roadtoqatar.qa. Follow @u17worldcupqa on social media for the latest tournament updates.

His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the Head of Government of the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch on the occasion of his country's national U-20 football team's victory in the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the King Mohammed VI of the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion of his country's national U-20 football team's victory in the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the King Mohammed VI of the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion of his country's national U-20 football team's victory in the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, wishing Morocco and its brotherly people further sporting achievements and continued progress and prosperity.

Former Real Madrid centre-back Alvaro Mejia moved to Qatar in 2014 to play for Al Shahania SC. Six years later, he became assistant coach at the same club, and then took over as head coach in February 2022.It was less than nine months ago, in January 2025, that Mejia signed a contract with the Qatar Football Association, and for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, he will coach the nation’s U-17 squad on home soil.With preparations well underway, Mejia spoke to FIFA about his decade-long career in the nation, his experiences in Qatar and what is to come in Group A against Italy, South Africa and Bolivia in Qatar's eighth appearance in the competition.Excerpts from his interview fifa.com:Q: What was it like going from club football to coaching Qatar's U-17 team? Did the call come as a surprise?Mejia: Yes, it was a surprise. I'd been at Al Shahania for ten seasons. It's where I call home, and I felt really settled there. I wasn't expecting the call, but when the challenge presented itself, it was a wonderful opportunity personally and for the country.This is a valuable experience for the Qatari players, who I think can gain a lot from it because it's challenging on every level. I jumped at the chance and was really excited about it. These last few months have been a whirlwind of non-stop work to get in the best possible shape for an international tournament featuring the best teams and promising young stars.Q: What was your experience of Qatar's footballing growth leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2022?Mejia: It was a beautiful process. We went through all the changes, from the facilities and stadiums to urban development, hotels and sports complexes. All the work that went into hosting such a major tournament took a gigantic effort.The country now occasionally hosts the Asian Cup, the Gulf Cup, and many other sporting events. The city changed so much with all that infrastructure being built for the World Cup 2022, but it was really beautiful once the construction was over. It was a special World Cup for everyone, and even more so because it was held in a single city. Everything took place within a few kilometres, with a metro system that worked beautifully. The 2022 World Cup was an outstanding event for all the football-loving fans who came along.Q: Does the same apply to this U-17 World Cup?Mejia: The facilities are second to none. For instance, the Aspire Zone grounds are within walking distance of each other, making for a festival-like atmosphere around the FIFA U-17 World Cup. It's a wonderful experience for young, talented players to compete in a World Cup, as well as the fans who get to see the whole thing within a 50-metre radius. Anyone who loves football will enjoy this kind of event. It will also bring benefits to the country as a whole. We're looking forward to getting started.Q: You'll be up against Italy, South Africa, and Bolivia in the group stage. Do you have a target in mind for Qatar?Mejia: We're just excited. This U-17 World Cup is a massive challenge. We are aware of Qatar's position, how strong the opposition will be, and what a huge challenge this is. We're going into it full of excitement, and our target is to get as far as we possibly can, bearing in mind that we'll be up against Italy, one of the best teams in the last European Championship. It's lovely to feel excited about doing the right thing and giving players this kind of experience. These types of matches at such a young age will help them grow. We're putting in the hard work to make sure we're as motivated and prepared as possible.Q: How do you work with the players?Mejia: We've tried to put into practice our original idea, but we've had to make some changes. The demands of the competition force you to adapt in certain circumstances, but we've been working with them over the last few months to get them tournament ready. Our aim is to feel comfortable on the ball. We know our opponents will try to put us in different situations, so we need to be prepared and try to get used to them. We want to be able to deal with whatever each match throws at us and adapt our style of play to the tournament itself.

Qatar's star striker Akram Afif expressed his delight at the team’s historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, saying that reaching the tournament through the qualifiers marks a new milestone for Qatari football.Afif, who was among the three finalists for the AFC Player of the Year award at the annual awards ceremony in Riyadh and lost out to Saudi Arabia’s Salem al-Dawsari. said he felt proud to be nominated once again for Asia’s top individual honour.“I congratulate the Qatari fans on qualifying for the World Cup, which is a significant achievement for Qatari football after our participation in the last edition as host,” the Al Sadd forward said.The two-time AFC Player of the Year winner, who helped lead Qatar to a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in Tuesday’s Asian play-off, added that the national team’s qualification reflected the hard work and spirit of the players. “I feel proud to be among the nominees for the award, and more importantly, to have qualified for the World Cup,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the fans for their strong support throughout the campaign.Afif has been in exceptional form, contributing decisively to both club and country. Last season, he registered 45 goal involvements for Al Sadd — scoring 23 goals and providing 22 assists in 36 matches — while leading the club to a second consecutive league title and the Qatar Cup. He was also the league’s top assist provider and guided Al Sadd to the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.During the AFC Awards ceremony, Afif drew attention for comments made in a televised interview regarding the closing moments of Qatar’s win over the UAE, in which he was seen gesturing toward supporters. Responding to questions about the incident, Afif said with a smile that he had encouraged fans to throw objects onto the pitch “just to waste time,” before quickly adding that he also asked them to stop so the referee would not extend the stoppage period.The tense finish in Doha saw Qatar secure a vital 2-1 win to top Group A of the Asian playoffs and confirm their place at the 2026 World Cup—the country’s second appearance at the global showpiece, and the first achieved through qualification.

The unique experience of Spanish coaching was marked successfully by the Qatari national football team, demonstrating its competence, excellence, and ability to achieve historic accomplishments with Qatari football, the latest of which was qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Qatar secured qualification for the World Cup, which will be held next year in the US, Canada, and Mexico, after defeating the UAE 2-1 in the final round of Group A of the Asian play-offs. Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui led the Qatari team to make history by successfully qualifying for the World Cup, adding a new chapter to Spain's record of success with Qatari football. Lopetegui took over the Qatari national team at the beginning of May, succeeding his compatriot, Luis Garcia. Despite the short period he spent in charge before the decisive matches, he was able to prepare the team in the necessary manner and gave the opportunity to many of them to participate in the starting lineup for the first time, despite the difficulty of the task. The team proved their worth and earned the coach's trust, contributing together to successfully qualify for the World Cup. This secured Qatar's second consecutive participation in the World Cup, and its first through the qualifiers after qualifying for the last FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022, as the host nation. The Spanish coach's achievements with Qatari football are not a recent development, but extend over the past decade, which has witnessed the presence of Spanish coaches who have left a clear mark and achieved historic accomplishments with Qatar's national teams. Spain's success with the Qatari national team began in gradual stages, beginning with coach Felix Sanchez, who successfully led Qatar to the 2014 AFC U-20 Championship title. Sanchez joined Aspire Academy in 2006, coming from Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy, to work on developing football in Qatar. In 2013, he took over as coach of the U-19 national team, and just one year after taking over, he succeeded in winning the AFC U-19 Championship, the team's first continental title in this age group. In line with Qatar's vision, Sanchez assumed responsibility for the youth teams, both U-20 and U-23, until he was chosen in 2017 to take over the first team, the majority of which was composed of members of the generation he had coached in previous youth groups. Just two years after taking charge of the national team, the Spanish coach led Qatar to win the AFC Asian Cup 2019 title in the UAE, marking the country's first continental title in an unprecedented historic achievement. He then went on to become the first coach to lead Al-Annabi to its historic appearance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After a period during which Portuguese Carlos Queiroz took over as coach of the national team, Qatar returned to the Spanish footballing sphere with the appointment of Bartolome Marquez Lopez as coach shortly before the start of the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha. Lopez lived up to expectations, continuing the journey of achievements after successfully defending the title, leading Al-Annabi to win the continental cup for the second time in a row, which was also a historic achievement. Spain's successes with the Qatari national team continued when Julen Lopetegui led the Qatari national team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, a historic achievement as it marked the first time the Qatari national team had qualified for the World Cup through the qualifiers. The Spanish coach's unique achievements confirm his outstanding success with Qatari football, writing a distinguished history, and his aspirations for further success.

Julen Lopetegui paid tribute to his players and the fans after Qatar booked their ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.A 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates confirmed the two-time Asian Cup winners' first ever FIFA World Cup appearance through the qualifiers with Lopetegui expressing his pride in his players' never-say-die attitude."I congratulate everyone on qualifying in a match we managed well with the players and the team. Yes, this is the first time the team has qualified through the qualifiers. This is a great thing for us, and we are happy to qualify and participate in the 2026 World Cup," said the Spanish tactician.Having drawn with Oman in their opener, Qatar had to defeat UAE to advance, resulting in a tight match at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. UAE, who beat Oman 2-1, also had the psychological advantage of having defeated Qatar twice in the previous round but fell to strikes from Boualem Khouki and Pedro Miguel, with Sultan Adil netting a consolation after the hosts were reduced to 10 men."The match was extremely difficult. We faced a strong and well-prepared team in the UAE. The first half was evenly matched. We wanted to score, and we achieved what we wanted at the beginning of the second half. I thank the players and the fans. Everyone did what was necessary. We overcame a difficult stage and qualified, delighting our fans," said Lopetegui.As a player, Lopetegui was part of Spain's squad at the 1994 World Cup squad but was third-choice goalkeeper and did not play. He was denied the chance to coach his national team at the 2018 World Cup. After taking Qatar to, the Real Madrid coach said "life owed me a World Cup""It seems like life owed me a World Cup, and fortunately, today I got it," the 59-year-old said. "It's a reward that I'm grateful for."For Lopetegui, the qualification carried personal significance. As a player, he was part of Spain’s 1994 World Cup squad but did not feature, and as coach, he was infamously dismissed just days before the 2018 tournament despite leading Spain through an unbeaten qualifying campaign.“It seems like life owed me a World Cup, and fortunately, today I got it,” the 59-year-old said with a smile. “It’s a reward I’m very grateful for. I’m excited to be back on the World Cup stage after what happened years ago — now it’s time to experience it with Qatar. There was a desire to be able to reach another World Cup, and that was an important factor in my decision to come here."Qatar’s performance in the 2022 World Cup, where they lost all three group games as hosts, is a reminder of the work ahead. Lopetegui acknowledged the task of rejuvenating the squad before 2026. “We have an older group,” he said. “We played with a 41-year-old in Sebastian Soria. We need to refine the team we’ll take to the World Cup.”Soria, making a surprise return to the national team after an eight-year absence, was emotional after the final whistle. “I’m happy and proud to have qualified,” the veteran striker said. “This generation deserves this achievement. Honestly, I feel lucky to be back with the team at this time. The fans were incredible.”Forward Almoez Ali echoed that sentiment. “Qualifying for the World Cup finals has a special flavor and came after a difficult match,” he said. “All the players were heroes today. This is a credit to the Qatari football system, and we want to make our next World Cup participation memorable.”Goalkeeper Abunada, whose early saves kept Qatar in the game, described the win as “a joy for the people.” He added: “The match was tough, but everyone fought to achieve this historic victory. The large crowd that came to support us made all the difference.”While Qatar can look forward to rubbing shoulders with the world's best next summer, UAE will now have to navigate a two-leg playoff against Iraq in November, with the winners to advance to the FIFA Playoff Tournament in March, where an additional two spots will be available.Head coach Cosmin Olariu did not hide his disappointment, with the Romanian feeling that his side did not maximise their chances."This is a disappointing result. We controlled the match and put pressure on our opponents. In the second half, we conceded an early goal. Football is sometimes unfair, and we must now enter a new phase and strive to return to the top of our game to secure our chances. It's unfortunate that this is where we've come to. We have to fight for our chance, and we have to learn from our mistakes going forward," said Olariu.