The former Real Madrid coach led Qatar to the World Cup and fainted after being hit by a ball during the game

In the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, a rare accident occurred during Qatar’s home match against the United Arab Emirates. The match was held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. Qatar eventually won 2-1 and secured a ticket to the World Cup in advance, but the process was shocking.

In the second half of the game, Qatar coach Lopetegui was directing from the sidelines. Suddenly, he was hit directly in the face by a powerful shot from close range. He fell to the ground on the spot, lost consciousness, and lay motionless on the sidelines. This scene instantly made the atmosphere tense, with players and staff showing worried looks.

After the incident, the medical team quickly entered the scene for emergency treatment. The player who shot the shot, Qatar midfielder Asim Madibo, also immediately stepped forward to check the situation, looking remorseful. After several minutes of examination and care, Lopetegui gradually regained consciousness and stood up slowly with the help of staff. Although he still appeared dizzy, fortunately, he was not seriously injured.

What is admirable is that after a brief adjustment, the 58-year-old Spanish coach insisted on returning to the coaching bench and continued to direct the game. Under his leadership, the Qatar team finally defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-1 and successfully qualified for the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup, becoming the first Asian team to qualify for the World Cup.

This victory is of great significance to Lopetegui. He took over the Qatar national team in May 2025, just after finishing his short coaching stint with West Ham United in the Premier League. As an experienced coach, he has coached the Spanish national team, Real Madrid, and led Sevilla to two Europa League championships, with a brilliant resume.

However, his coaching career has fallen into a trough in recent years, and he has failed to gain a foothold at Wolves and West Ham United. Leading Qatar to successfully qualify for the World Cup this time not only created history for the team, but also injected a shot in the arm into his own career.

Although this accident is scary, it has a happy ending. Lopetegui proved his professionalism with persistence and victory, and also wrote a new chapter for Qatari football.