Qatar bids farewell to the 2026 World Cup after a loss to Bosnia
Defensive errors ended Qatar's hopes of qualification and now Bosnia awaits a chance to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams
The Qatari national team bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 in the match that brought them together on Wednesday evening as part of the third and final round of Group B in the World Cup.
"The Maroon" failed to achieve the victory it needed to keep its hopes alive of advancing to the Round of 32, thus ending its campaign in last place in the group. Meanwhile Bosnia and Herzegovina kept its chances alive to compete for qualification as one of the best third-placed teams.
Defensive errors complicate the task
The Qatari national team entered the match with a defensive approach that relied on organization and closing spaces, while trying to exploit quick counterattacks led by Akram Afif.
The "Annabi" (Qatar national team) nearly opened the scoring early, after Afif found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper in the 13th minute, but the Bosnian defense managed to clear the danger at the last moment.
On the other hand, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team relied on long-range shots and exploiting Qatar's defensive errors, which resulted in the first goal scored by Kerim Alajbegovic in the 29th minute.
A few minutes later, the Qatari national team received a second blow, as defender Sultan Al-Brake accidentally scored an own goal in the 34th minute, amid clear confusion in the defensive positioning in front of goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada.
Al-Haydos reduces the deficit, but injury ended his appearance
Before the end of the first half, captain Hassan Al-Haydos restored hope for the Qatari national team after scoring a goal to narrow the gap in the 43rd minute, while Pedro Miguel was denied the equalizer after a powerful shot struck the post.
With the start of the second half, the Qatari national team tried to impose its control over the midfield, but Al-Haydos's injury dealt a significant blow to the team, forcing the captain to leave the match in the 55th minute with clear distress among the coaching staff and players.
The Bosnian national team took advantage of "Al Annabi’s" offensive push and succeeded in scoring the third goal through Ermin Mahmic in the 81st minute, sealing the match and confirming Qatar’s official exit from the tournament.
Switzerland and Canada advance to the next round
In the second match within the same group, the Swiss national team achieved a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Canada, raising its tally to seven points and topping the group, while the Canadian team qualified with four points.
As for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, it finished the group stage in third place with four points, awaiting the results of the remaining groups to know its chances of advancing to the next round.
Al-Haydos makes history despite the elimination
Despite the disappointment of elimination, Hassan Al-Haydos stole the spotlight, inscribing his name Qatari soccer history by scoring his goal in the World Cup, becoming the second Qatari player to score in World Cup history after Mohammed Muntari.
Al-Haydos's goal is considered the third goal for Qatar in its history of World Cup appearances, after Muntari's goal in the 2022 edition, and an own goal scored by a Swiss player in the current edition.
Coming out of retirement for the sake of "Al Annabi"
Al-Haydos had announced his retirement from international soccer after Qatar won the 2023 Asian Cup, before reversing his decision and returning to the national team in June 2025.
The "Al-Annabi" captain is considered one of the most prominent names in the history of Qatari football, having led the national team to win the AFC Asian Cup twice in a row, in 2019 and 2023. Additionally, he captained Qatar in two consecutive World Cups.
Unfortunately, Al-Haydos's return was not enough to save the Qatari national team from an early exit, as "Al-Annabi" now bids farewell to the tournament in the group stage for the second consecutive time. This amid growing questions about the team's future after the end of the golden generation that achieved the most prominent accomplishments in Qatari football in recent years.