Life owed me a World Cup and I’ve got it- Julen Lopetegui after leading Qatar to 2026 World Cup

By Emmanuel Austin Baah On Oct 15, 2025

Qatar’s head coach Julen Lopetegui says the Gulf nation’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a reward that he is grateful for.

Lopetegui got Qatar to next year’s World Cup after a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates; this is Qatar’s first qualification to the world tournament after playing at the 2022 World Cup as host.

The Spanish coach, who served as West Ham manager briefly before taking over the Qatari head coaching job, was with the Spanish team that featured at the 1994 World Cup as the third choice goalkeeper and didn’t feature in any game.

As a coach, he led Spain to the 2018 World Cup but was fired just three days before the tournament after agreeing to join Real Madrid after the tournament but Lopetegui is set to be directly involved in the upcoming World Cup.

Julen Lopetegui, Head Coach of Qatar, embraces Ahmed Fathy of Qatar after the team’s victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Qatar and United Arab Emirates (Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)

“It seems like life owed me a World Cup, and fortunately… I got it. It’s a reward that I’m grateful for. I’m very excited to be at a World Cup after what happened some years ago, and now it’s time to experience it with Qatar.”

Julen Lopetegui, Head Coach of Qatar reacts during the FIFA World Cup qualifier match (Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)

“We’ve been working for this moment for months and everything has turned out well. It’s a historic moment for the country, something that’s never been achieved before. The atmosphere has been extraordinary. We’re very happy” Lopetegui said according to ESPN.

Author

Emmanuel Austin Baah

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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