5 min readJun 13, 2026 02:14 PM IST Last FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar have come to this FIFA World Cup after a historic World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw the team score a 2-1 win over UAE in the fourth round of Asian Qualifiers. The country had become the first country in FIFA World Cup history to play in a World Cup without qualifying for it and the second after Italy to qualify as hosts after being not part of the World Cups before. The Julen Lopetegui coached Qatar side will open their campaign in Group B as they face Switzerland at San Francisco Bay Arena on Saturday. Earlier in March, the team’s preparations were hampered by the US-Iran war, which also saw Iran bombing locations in Qatar. The attacks meant that the country’s friendlies against Serbia and reigning world champions Argentina were cancelled. Lopetegui has now spoken about how the attacks hampered his team’s preparations apart from his family asking him to return but he chose to stay back. “It was unpleasant, unlike …