Al Annabi now confirmed a spot in the fourth round of Asian qualifying after Julen Lopetegui’s first game yielded a historic win against Iran. 

Qatar’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup 2026 remained alive as the stint under head coach Julen Lopetegui kicked off with a 1-0 win against Iran at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday. 

Pedro Miguel’s late first-half strike was enough for the hosts to hand Iran, who finished the game with a man down, their first loss of the third round of qualifiers.

It was Al Annabi’s first win against the Asian giants in World Cup qualifiers since 1997 and sealed a spot in the upcoming playoffs, where two additional spots for next year’s tournament will be up for the taking.

Miguel finished from close range to hand Qatar the lead in the second attempt after goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand had initially denied his header. 

While the Iranians looked better side going forward, Qatar took time to settle. Yet, the hosts were able to gradually grow into the game and capitalised on the numerical advantage after Iranian defender Milad Mohammadi conceded two yellow cards in quick succession. 

Earlier, Iran had tested Qatari goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham twice within ten minutes, with Saeid Ezatolahi getting at the end of both chances. 

Ahmed Al-Ganehi’s shot over the crossbar in the 17th minute was the only clear chance that Qatar had managed to offer before the send-off. 

It was a rather cagey affair in the second half, with Iran continuing to pelt attacks. The Qatari rearguards held up fine to see off the lead and secure a win in Lopetegui’s first game in charge of the team. 

Lopetegui has continued to insist that his approach with the side will be to take a step at a time, his first goal being a smooth route to the next World Cup qualifying round. 

Thursday’s win against Iran puts Qatar in fourth place in Group A with 13 points, and the next round is sealed ahead of the June 10 clash against Uzbekistan.