Madibo sees experience as key to Qatar’s ambitions

Doha, Qatar: Assim Madibo’s journey with Qatar has taken him from youth tournaments to continental glory and the FIFA World Cup. Along the way, the midfielder has accumulated lessons he believes could prove vital for Al Annabi in North America.

As Qatar prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the experienced midfielder believes the time has come for Al Annabi to turn those lessons into results.

“We played all of these matches, and I think now it’s time to put all the experience we gained into practice, taking it one match at a time,” Madibo said as Qatar entered the final phase of preparations for their second consecutive appearance in the football showpiece. milkshakeslot.lat

For the 29-year-old, the upcoming tournament represents another chapter in a national team journey that has mirrored the rise of Qatari football itself.

From youth-level success to continental glory and World Cup participation, Madibo has been part of many of the milestones that shaped the current generation.

Having lost all three group matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Al Annabi now target a place in the knockout rounds for the first time.

Drawn in Group B alongside Switzerland, co-hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar face a demanding challenge but one they believe they are better equipped to handle than four years ago.

The campaign begins against Switzerland on June 13 before matches against Canada on June 18 - a fixture scheduled for the early hours of June 19, Qatar time - and Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24.

Madibo believes Qatar’s growing tournament experience could prove decisive.

“Of course, no match will be easy, not a single minute in any match will be easy,” he said.

“We’ll definitely face pressure during or before the matches, but I think we have enough experience to first adapt to the situation, and secondly, to help the younger players who have just joined the national team get into the tournament atmosphere early.”

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With several younger players entering their first World Cup environment, experienced players such as Madibo are expected to provide stability inside the dressing room.

“The more we help the young players, the more they’ll help us strengthen the team and perform well,” he said.

Madibo joined Aspire Academy in 2014 and within months, he was in Europe, signing for Austrian side LASK Linz, where he made his professional debut. Stints in Spain with Cultural Leonesa and in Belgium with Eupen followed before he established himself as a regular figure in Qatar’s national team setup.

Along the way, he represented Qatar at youth level, winning the AFC U-19 Championship in 2014 and playing at the FIFA U-20 World Cup the following year.

The midfielder’s senior international breakthrough came soon after. Since making his debut in 2017, Madibo has earned 49 caps and became part of the generation that delivered Qatar’s greatest football achievement, the country’s maiden AFC Asian Cup triumph in 2019.

There have also been disappointments. He missed Qatar’s successful AFC Asian Cup title defence in 2024 after being left out of the squad.

“It was a difficult journey, full of challenges, with many sacrifices. It started very modestly, and thank Allah I was able to achieve something for my country,” he said.

“I think it was successful, though it could have been better, but thank Allah I’m content with what Allah has written for me.”

Madibo credits mentality for helping him navigate setbacks throughout his career.

“Motivation comes from within. Deep down a player feels responsibility towards his country,” he said.

“I believe the most important thing for successful players is their mentality and self-confidence.”

With fans gearing to provide strong support to Al Annabi, Madibo said it will be huge motivation for players in the challenge.

“I remember my daughter attending a match for the first time, and I was so happy. We always look at the stands and see where our families are, a small gesture alone is enough to make us give our all. I hope we can bring joy to our fans in this tournament, God willing,” he said.

Paris, France: Portugal and Belgium both won in front of their home fans yesterday ahead of their latest attempts at World Cup breakthroughs.

Portugal beat Chile, who are not going to the World Cup, 2-1 in Oeiras, near Lisbon.

Belgium cruised to a 5-0 victory over fellow World Cup qualifiers Tunisia in Brussels.

Although the games were notionally friendlies, there were red cards in both.

Portugal started Cristiano Ronaldo. The star had a strike ruled offside just before half-time before he went off amid a raft of half-time substitutions.

By then both teams were down to ten men after Rafael Leao and Ivan Roman were sent off following a mass scuffle just before the break. Goncalo Guedes gave Portugal a 58th-minute lead. Premier League player of the year, Bruno Fernandes, who played the full game added the second from long range.

Lucas Cepeda replied in added time. Portugal have a home friendly against Nigeria in Leiria on June 10 before setting off to play DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K. In Brussels Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin scored for Belgium.

The last three came after Tunisia’s Ismael Gharbi was sent off for a second yellow card.

At the World Cup, Belgium will face Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in Group G. Tunisia, managed by Sabri Lamouchi, are in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden.

Cairo: France's David Trezeguet and Brazil's Zico and Dunga all left their mark on World Cup history decades ago.

In 2026, their names will return to football's biggest stage but this time on the backs of Egyptian players.

When the Pharaohs walk onto the tournament pitch this month, several squad members will carry monikers drawn from some of the game's most iconic figures -- names first picked up years ago on dusty training grounds, in youth academies and across local leagues.

The tradition is rooted in similarities of playing style or appearance and in a football culture that has long embraced legendary names.

One standout is Mahmoud Hassan, popularly called "Trezeguet," who plays for Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

The 31-year-old winger, who previously had a spell in the Premier League with Aston Villa, made his World Cup debut at Russia 2018 and is now preparing for his second appearance.

His nickname was given by youth coach Badr Ragab, who saw in Hassan's style and aerial prowess shades of the French striker who helped France lift the 1998 World Cup and later featured in the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.

"From his first days... I noticed (Hassan's) resemblance to Trezeguet, both in appearance and playing style," Ragab told AFP.

"He was strong in the air and scored goals in a similar way, so I gave him the name. I never imagined it would stay with him for so long."

The original Trezeguet earned 71 caps for France before ending his international career in 2014.

Now, Egypt's own Trezeguet is edging towards a milestone of his own, sitting just short of 100 caps, a mark he could reach should Egypt progress beyond the group stage at the World Cup.

The team will face Belgium, Iran and New Zealand in Group G.

'Little Zico'

Brazil's influence is also visible within the Egyptian squad.

Mostafa Abdel-Raouf, a midfielder for Pyramids FC, has been known as "Little Zico" since his early days in the game, a reference to one of Brazil's most gifted playmakers.

Unlike Hassan's nickname, the origin was more personal than tactical.

Abdel-Raouf's older brother, who also played football, was nicknamed Zico because his full name included "Zaki".

"When Mostafa started playing, coaches called him 'little Zico' because he was my younger brother," he told AFP.

The name stayed with him as he moved through different clubs, he added.

The original Zico made 71 appearances for Brazil and played in three World Cups before retiring in 1994.

Egypt's 29-year-old Zico is only just beginning his international journey.

Called up for the first time ahead of the tournament, he made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a friendly against Russia in May.

Another Brazilian-inspired nickname belongs to Nabil Emad, known as "Dunga", after the midfielder who captained Brazil to World Cup glory in 1994.

The 27-year-old, now playing as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Najma, is competing in his second major international tournament after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

His nickname dates back to his early career, when he was spotted playing in Egypt's second division.

"I admired the Brazilian player, and Nabil played in the same position with a very similar style," said Wael Habib, a former official at Al Assiouty, now Pyramids FC, who signed him in 2014.

Emad went on to establish himself at Pyramids, later joining Egyptian giants Zamalek before moving abroad.

In Egypt, such naming traditions are far from unusual.

Ragab, who coined the nickname Trezeguet, also handed out other European-inspired names in his youth teams, including "Nedved" for ex-Al Ahly winger Karim Walid, after Czech legend Pavel Nedved.

Other players have carried names borrowed from well-known figures, from Al Ahly's Ahmed Ramadan, known as "Beckham", to former Zamalek player Youssef Ibrahim, whose nickname "Obama" set him apart beyond the pitch.

College Station, United States: Argentina eased to a 2-0 victory against a lacklustre Honduras in the reigning champions' penultimate World Cup warm-up game in Texas on Saturday.

Lautaro Martinez and Giuliano Simeone scored the goals in a game dominated by Argentina in College Station.

Lionel Messi was on the bench but not used by coach Lionel Scaloni as he nurses the superstar back to fitness for the World Cup group games after he suffered a hamstring injury on May 24.

A lethargic game burst into life on 37 minutes when Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled in the penalty area by Cristopher Melendez and Inter Milan forward Martinez drove home the spot kick low to his left to make it 1-0 on 37 minutes.

The lively Martinez was the creator when Argentina doubled their lead on 54 minutes as his intelligent backheel set up Atletico Madrid's Simeone to fire past Honduras goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar.

In other highlights, Giovani Lo Celso hit the crossbar with a superb curling shot from outside the area in the first half and Tomas Aranda's second-half attempt was well saved by the Honduras 'keeper.

Honduras barely crossed the halfway line in the second half as Argentina exterted their dominance.

Scaloni said that despite playing some of his younger squad members, his team showed they have a solid identity as the defence of their crown approaches.

"Maybe it could have been done better, but as for the team's hallmark, its identity, I think it remains intact, and that's the most important thing. That's what we're looking for, in the end, not to break that identity," he said.

Argentina face Iceland in their final friendly match in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday before the three-time winners begin their World Cup group games against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.

Scaloni has indicated that Messi could play a small part in one of the friendlies, meaning an appearance against Iceland is likely.

Tijuana, Mexico: Iran's World Cup squad landed in Mexico on Sunday, June 7, 2026, under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row, after the United States -- which is in open military conflict with Tehran -- refused to issue visas for some team support staff.

The dispute erupted just days before Thursday's kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

After departing from their training camp in Turkey a day earlier, the Iran team landed early Sunday in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, AFP witnessed.

The team will be based in the city throughout the tournament, despite playing their entire group stage in the United States.

When they do play in the US, it will be the first World Cup to see a host nation receive the team of a country it is at war with.

Iran's team spent nearly three weeks at a training camp in Antalya, using their time in Turkey to apply for visas to travel to Mexico, Canada and the United States.

On the eve of their departure for Mexico, the players received their US visas, Washington's envoy to Turkey Tom Barrack said on X late Friday.

But Iran's embassy to Turkey said support staff had been denied visas -- 15 administrative and management staff are concerned, an Iranian diplomat and state TV said.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy wrote Saturday on X, calling for world football's governing body FIFA "to hold the US accountable for violations of its rules."

Adding to the tensions, Iran's ambassador to Mexico said Saturday the squad had been notified that, under their visa conditions, the team must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their matches.

"We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day," Iran's envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters.

That appeared to contradict what the team's spokesman Amir Mahdi Alavi told state TV earlier.

"The visas issued for the national team are multiple-entry visas, and the national team will arrive at the match venue one day before the first game and, for the following games, two days prior to each match," Alavi said.

FIFA rules for World Cups stipulate that a team's coach must give a news conference on the eve of the match at the venue where the game will be played.