Almoez Ali is Qatar’s record goalscorer but he did not start in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Asian Cup champion Qatar will look to continue its form after a 1-1 draw in its FIFA World Cup opener (against Switzerland) as it kicked off its clash against Canada in Vancouver on Thursday,

Qatar, the first Arab nation to host the tournament, conceded seven goals in the 2022 World Cup, exiting in the group stage as the worst-performing side to organise the World Cup.

In 2026, it earned qualification to the World Cup on merit for the first time. The team, coached by Julen Lopetegui, is drawn in Group B with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland and co-host Canada.

However, in its second match in a row, Qatar chose to start without its record goalscorer Almoez Ali.

Why Almoez Ali is not starting for Canada vs Qatar?

Almoez Ali has 55 goals for Qatar and was the top scorer at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. However, he starts from the bench for the match against Canada.

There is no recent injury to Almoez, and him starting from the bench looks like a tactical shift by Lopetegui, who will look to inspire the side to its first point in the World Cup.

Almoez is replaced by a younger striker in Yusuf Abdusirag, while the attack is led by Akram Afif, a two-time AFC Player of the Year, and the highest goalscorer and best player in the 2023 Asian Cup, which Qatar won.

Published on Jun 19, 2026