Doha, Qatar – The heavy 6-0 defeat suffered by the Qatari national team against Canada dominated the headlines of Qatari newspapers, after “Al-Annabi” suffered one of its harshest defeats in the history of its participation in the World Cup, during the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Qatari media outlets unanimously agreed that the national team did not perform as well as it did in its opening match against Switzerland, which ended in a 1-1 draw, considering that defensive errors and numerical disadvantage were among the main reasons for the collapse against the Canadian team.
Homeland: A difficult night and a painful result
The newspaper “Al-Watan” described the loss as a night to forget for the Qatari fans, noting that the team was unable to keep up with the pace of its opponent throughout the match.
The newspaper also noted that the coaching staff maintained the same lineup that played against Switzerland, but the team failed to replicate the positive performance it delivered in the first round.
Al-Watan newspaper highlighted the historic achievement of the Canadian national team, after it recorded its first victory in the history of its participation in the World Cup, taking a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stages.
Al-Raya: The two expulsions changed the course of the match.
For its part, Al-Raya newspaper believed that the expulsion of Hammam Al-Amin in the first half and then Asim Madibo after the break played a decisive role in widening the gap, as the Qatari team found itself forced to complete a large part of the match with nine players.
The newspaper confirmed that the Canadian team took full advantage of their numerical superiority and succeeded in widening the gap during the second half, turning the match into a resounding victory.
Arabs: Performance declined, but hope remains.
Al-Arab newspaper acknowledged the Canadian team’s superiority from the first minutes, stressing that the Qatari team did not perform at its usual level, especially after the numerical shortage that affected the defensive organization and the team’s performance in general.
Despite the harsh result, the newspaper stressed that Qatar’s hopes of qualifying are not over yet, as the opportunity still exists before the final round, provided they achieve victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and wait for the results of the other competitors.
Last chance for Al-Annabi
With the end of the second round, the Qatari team is required to achieve a positive result in its last match if it wants to maintain its chances of reaching the round of 32, after its situation became complicated following the heavy loss to Canada, which put itself on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages.
