Doha: The 26-man Qatar squad that will face Afghanistan and India this month in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers was announced by head coach Carlos Queiroz on Wednesday in Doha. The renowned Portuguese coach made a number of adjustments to the team that finished second at last month's Jordan International Quad Championship in Amman. Ahmed Al Rawi, the up-and-coming star of Al Rayyan, has also secured a spot on the team. This ensures that the roster once again features a mix of young talent and seasoned players. Ahmed Al Rawi, the up-and-coming star from Al Rayyan, has also secured a spot on the team. This ensures that the roster once again features a mix of young talent and seasoned players. The match will be played at Khalifa International Stadium on November 16. Al Annabi will then travel to Bhubaneshwar to meet hosts India on November 21. The qualifiers will resume in 2024 when Queiroz's squad faces Kuwait on March 21. The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will be held from January 12 to February 10, 2024. They will play their GCC opponents again in the return leg on March 26, while their second match against Afghanistan is set for June 6 before the game against India five days later. A total of 36 teams divided into nine groups will be seen in action in the second round. All nine group winners and the respective runners-up will advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and at the same time seal their places at the 2027 Asian Cup. The draw for the third round of the global showpiece in 2026 will be conducted in 2024, where the 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six; the top two from each group will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Qatar Squad Goalkeepers: Fahad Younes (Al Rayyan), Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Yousef Hassan (Al Gharafa) Defenders: Bassam Al Rawi (Al Rayyan), Boualem Khoukhi, Tariq Salman, Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Homam Al Amin (Al Gharafa), Yousef Ayman (Al Duhail), Hazem Ahmed, Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah) Midfielders: Abdullah Al Marafi, Ahmed Fathi, Jassem Jaber (Al Arabi), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Hassan Al Haydos, Mustafa Meshaal, Muhammad Waad (Al Sadd) Forwards: Akram Afif, Yousef Abdulrazaq (Al Sadd), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al Gharafa), Almoez Ali, Mohammed Muntari (Al Duhail), Ahmed Al Rawi, Tamim Mansour (Al Rayyan)