Julen Lopetegui (59) has taken charge of the Qatar national team.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) officially announced on the 1st (Korean time) through its official channel that Julen Lopetegui has been appointed as the head coach. According to a report by the British 'BBC' on the 1st, Lopetegui has agreed to terms for a contract period until 2027, taking the helm of the Qatar national team. This appointment is interpreted as a decision aimed at both the remaining schedule of the 2026 North America World Cup Asian qualifiers and a long-term project.

According to QFA's announcement, Lopetegui will begin his full coaching duties starting with the World Cup second qualifying match against Iran on June 5. Following that, a final match against Uzbekistan is scheduled for June 10, with both games taking place away.

The contract signing ceremony for Lopetegui was attended by Sheikh Bin Rashid Al Buainain, President of the Qatar Football Association, and Mansour Al Ansari, the Secretary General.

Although the Qatar national team directly entered the finals as the host country of the last World Cup, it must go through qualifiers for this tournament. Thus, the appointment of Lopetegui is seen as a practical choice.

Lopetegui, a 1966-born Spaniard, was a goalkeeper during his playing career and accumulated coaching experience after retirement through stints with Spain's youth national teams, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and West Ham United.

As coach of the Spain national team, he led a total of 16 matches from July 2016 to June 2018, achieving a respectable record of 12 wins and 4 draws.

With this contract, Lopetegui is once again taking on the challenge on the national team stage. In particular, what Qatar expects from him is not just simple qualification for the finals, but the establishment of competitiveness at the top level in Asia.

QFA emphasized, "The team led by Lopetegui will do its best in the remaining qualifying matches, and this appointment is an important investment for the future of Qatari football."

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