"Not thinking 2018; 2026 in mind" — Julen Lopetegui on his first World Cup opportunity with Qatar

This World Cup should not be Lopetegui's first chance. Lopetegui was sacked as Spain boss two days before the start of the 2018 Russia World Cup, with Real Madrid announcing his appointment for next season. Eight years later, he is stepping down as Qatar's head coach for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Qatar take on Switzerland in their Group B opener this Saturday at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

"I'm not thinking about 2018; it's 2026," Lopetegui says clearly. "Getting Qatar to qualify for the World Cup is history. It's very difficult, but that's the challenge that drives us. The goal now — to be as competitive a team as possible."

Taking charge of Spain in 2016, he rejuvenated an aging squad and led them to a 20-game unbeaten 2018 with pre-tournament honors. Unwilling to go into the details of the sacking, he summarily recalls, "Those two years were incredible; we played all the best teams in the world, beat most of them, never lost." Spain, then led by interim manager Fernando Hierro, lost to Russia in the Round of 16 on penalties. Despite reaching the Euro 2020 semi-finals (losing on penalties to Italy) under Luis Enrique, they were eliminated in the last 16 again at the 2022 World Cup by Morocco. Luis de la Fuente led Spain to win Euro 2024 after defeating England.

Qatar's World Cup journey in 2022 looked even more difficult this time around after losing all three matches in its first attempt at home. Before Lopetegui took over in May 2025, heavy defeats to UAE, Iran and Kyrgyzstan in the third stage of the Asian qualifiers. But they beat Iran 1-0 in their first match to secure the play-off stage. A 0-0 draw with Oman followed and a 2-1 win over the UAE — thus securing one of the eight direct spots in Asia for Qatar. "Iran are like the Brazil of this region; very strong. And yet we won. The result against the UAE — even when we were 10 men — was a test of life," he said.

There are many disruptions in production. Friendly matches against Serbia and Argentina were canceled due to security concerns related to the tension between America-Israel-Iran in March. The Qatar league was also suspended for three weeks, leaving players unable to train. The match against Sudan in May was also cancelled. They then suffered a narrow 0–1 loss to Ireland in Dublin on 28 May and a 0–0 draw with El Salvador in Los Angeles on 6 June.

Qatar's next two fixtures in Group 'B' — co-hosts Canada (June 19) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 24). "Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia — all three are above us. We have to accept reality. We are a team that needs to grow out of defense for a long time and compete," Lopetegui says candidly.

He also effectively answered a question about club level experiences. After a 1-5 defeat against Barcelona in October 2018, Real Madrid's run ended on 14 matches. Xabi Alonso was sacked in January despite extending his stay at the Bernabeu until the 2025-26 season; Although Alvaro Arbeloa arrived, then Jose Mourinho returned. "I love Xabi very much; I wish him well. Why is it difficult to manage Madrid? — 'That's Real Madrid'," he laughed.

That followed with the 2020 Europa League trophy at Sevilla and three consecutive top-4 finishes in La Liga. Saved Wolves from relegation in November 2022. He took charge of West Ham in 2024-25 and was sacked in January while still 14th in the table. Although he has a contract with Qatar until 2027, he has not ruled out a return to European club football: "I like big challenges. England, Spain — anywhere; we'll see if the right challenge comes along."

Now, Lopetegui and Qatar — a team trying to turn limited resources into peak potential. The aim is to lift up the young players and create a team that defends the flag and plays with respect. Lopetegui insists he is ready to compete on the podium in 2026 without worrying about his 2018 injury.