Qatar secured its first-ever World Cup qualification through the preliminaries, defeating the UAE 2-1, with coach Julen Lopetegui praising the team’s historic achievement.

Qatar has made history by qualifying for the World Cup finals next summer, defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on Tuesday. Coach Julen Lopetegui hailed the achievement as “truly special,” securing Qatar’s first-ever successful passage through the preliminaries.

Second-half goals from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel secured Qatar’s top spot in Group A of Asia’s qualifiers, ahead of the UAE and Oman. Lopetegui, a former goalkeeper who led Sevilla to the Europa League title in 2020, expressed his pride and joy at the team’s achievement.

“We made history and entered through the grand gate,” Lopetegui said. “The dream has come true. I’ve won many titles, but this experience with Qatar is truly special. We must enjoy what we’ve achieved.”

Qatar’s qualification marks a significant milestone, as they will be playing at a second consecutive World Cup, having made their debut at the 2022 finals as tournament hosts..

The win over the UAE came after an earlier 0-0 draw with Oman, securing Qatar’s first place in Group A of the fourth round of qualifiers. Saudi Arabia took the other remaining berth for Asian qualifiers ahead of Iraq in Group B in Jeddah.

Qatar midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem praised the team’s achievement, stating, “This means a lot to us. It’s the first time Qatar has qualified for the World Cup through the qualifiers. It’s a reward for all of us.”

Qatar joins Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Jordan, who had booked their places in December’s draw for the finals during the previous phase of preliminaries.