Qatar will gear up for its vital 2026 FIFA World Cup fourth round qualifiers by appearing in two international friendlies against Bahrain and Russia in September, announced the Qatar Football Association on Wednesday.

While the reigning Asian champions will face their Gulf rivals on September 3 at the Al Thumama Stadium, it will be followed by their high-profile clash against Russia on September 7 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. The games will act as final preparations for the team ahead of the qualifiers in October.

Drawn into Group A of the fourth round qualifiers, Qatar will kick off their campaign against Oman on October 8, before facing the UAE on October 14. Both matches will be held at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.

Six nations will compete for just two direct spots in the fourth round. While Group A features Qatar, Oman, and the UAE, Group B includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia. The winners from each group will secure direct advancement.

The runners-up from each group will play a two-legged play-off on November 13 and 18, with the winner moving on to the FIFA Play-off Tournament, the final global qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Under new head coach Julen Lopetegui, Qatar recently completed a training camp in Austria, where they beat Iran and narrowly lost to Uzbekistan. The camp also marked the return of long-time captain Hassan Al Haydos, who reversed his international retirement, and the first-time inclusion of Al Sadd’s standout midfielder Guilherme Torres.

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