Meshaal Barsham was crowned the 2023 AFC Asian Cup’s Best Goalkeeper after Qatar clinched its second title. 

Qatar’s national team and Al Sadd SC goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham has successfully undergone surgery in London, the local football club announced. 

According to Wednesday’s statement, Barsham sustained a pelvic injury and will now undergo treatment and rehabilitation in coordination with the Qatari team’s doctor and the first team’s medical staff. 

Barsham was named the 2023 AFC Asian Cup’s Best Goalkeeper after after helping secure Qatar’s back-to-back titles in the tournament.

Maintaining three clean sheets out of the seven matches Qatar played, the 26-year-old star expects the national team to qualify for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

In an interview earlier this year, Barsham said that the qualification campaign had gone well and believes the team has been under extra scrutiny since winning the AFC Asian Cup. 

“We started our qualification campaign well, beating India and Afghanistan. Now, we’re ready for the two matches against Kuwait, especially after our success at the Asian Cup,” Barshim said in his interview.

“Of course, we’re under more of a spotlight now,” he went on to say. “The other teams will be willing to give 200 percent and will be very well-prepared to face us, but that just means we need to be even better.”

Currently ranked 34th by FIFA, Qatar has already secured qualification for the next round of Asian Cup qualifiers.

The team will face Afghanistan on June 6 in Saudi Arabia, followed by a match against India on June 11, which Barshim will not be a part of. 

Instead, Saad Al Sheeb, Shehab Al Laithi, Ali Nader, and Amir Hassan will stand in as goalkeepers for the upcoming matches.