Julen Lopetegui, the former coach of Spain, expressed that “life owed me a World Cup” after successfully leading Qatar to qualify for next year’s prestigious tournament.
Qatar secured their World Cup place with a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in Al Rayyan on Tuesday.
“It feels like life owed me a World Cup, and thankfully, I’ve finally achieved it,” remarked the 59-year-old Lopetegui, during an interview.
“This is a rewarding moment for which I am deeply thankful.”
Though Lopetegui was part of Spain’s 1994 World Cup squad, he was the third-choice goalkeeper and did not see any playing time.
He also missed the opportunity to coach Spain in the 2018 World Cup, having been dismissed just days before the tournament began.
After guiding Spain through a remarkable qualifying campaign—where they won nine and drew one of their ten matches, scoring 36 goals while conceding only three—Lopetegui was unexpectedly dismissed just two days before Spain’s World Cup opener for agreeing to take over Real Madrid post-tournament.
Lopetegui remains reflective about that premature exit: “I’m incredibly excited to participate in another World Cup after what transpired years ago, and now I’m ready to experience this moment with Qatar,” he said.
“There was a strong desire to reach another World Cup, and that greatly influenced my decision to come here.”
– 2026 World Cup: Who has qualified, and how the rest can make it
– Cristiano Ronaldo nets two goals, becomes all-time scorer in WCQ
– Why this is (kind of) the last-ever October international break
Lopetegui, who took on the Qatar coaching role on May 1, found himself back in the international scene less than four months after being released by West Ham.
“We have been preparing for this moment for months, and it’s gratifying to see our hard work pay off,” he mentioned.
“This is a historical milestone for the country, a first-time achievement. The atmosphere here has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are all very pleased.”
Having previously lost all three group matches when Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, Lopetegui acknowledges the challenges ahead.
“Our team has aged,” he stated. “In the second half, we played with a 41-year-old player [Sebastian Soria]. We need to fine-tune the squad we will take to the World Cup.”