Qatar are managed by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, who was finally able to lead a national team at the most prestigious soccer tournament after famously just missing out in 2018 when he was coaching the Spanish national team. Just days before the start of the World Cup in Russia, Lopetegui agreed to join Real Madrid after the tournament. The decision angered former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales (who himself would get fired amid controversy several years later), who had only recently extended Lopetegui’s contract with Spain, leading to the coach’s dismissal a few hours before the first match against Portugal. Rubiales hired Fernando Hierro as interim manager, with the coach arriving in Russia only hours before the game against Portugal. Spain ended up winning the group (two draws against Morocco and Portugal, one win against Iran) before losing on penalties in the Round of 16 against Russia. 

For Lopetegui, that summer marked a sliding door. Before his dismissal, he had gone unbeaten in all 20 matches as Spain manager, but his subsequent spell at Real Madrid was a failure. Lopetegui was sacked in October after a poor start to the season and replaced by Santiago Solari, before Zinedine Zidane returned to the club a few months later. However, Lopetegui managed to rebuild his reputation at Sevilla, guiding the Spanish side to victory in the 2020 edition of the UEFA Europa League, where they defeated Antonio Conte’s Inter in the final.

After his spells at Wolverhampton and West Ham, he was called by Qatar to lead the team at their second ever World Cup. In his first competitive match at the World Cup, Lopetegui has now made history with Qatar, guiding them to their first-ever point and only their second goal in World Cup history. It was a landmark moment not only for Qatar but also for the coach, who saw the circle come full circle eight years after the heartbreak of the summer 2018, when he was prevented to lead his national team at the World Cup.