Lopetegui: For Qatar, the word "pressure" doesn't exist

For Qatar, the word "pressure" simply doesn't exist, and the players continue to chase their dream, stated national coach Julen Lopetegui ahead of their match against Canada in Vancouver. The Asian champions kicked off the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, leaving all teams in the group level on points before the second round of fixtures.

Qatar, with a population of nearly 3.17 million people, finished last in their group at the 2022 World Cup, which they hosted.

"The word pressure doesn't exist for us. When you're pursuing your dream, you're not under pressure; you're motivated and inspired. We've achieved something unprecedented in history – Qatar is here," Lopetegui said, as quoted by Reuters.

"Qatar is a small country, but it has an immense passion for football. The state invests heavily in infrastructure, and we must make progress daily. The match against Switzerland is behind us. We are solely focused on our next opponent, who is also very strong," added the Spanish coach.

Qatar primarily fields players from its domestic league and has achieved a synergy that makes them a formidable force in Asia. The national team has won the continental tournament twice consecutively, and a relatively manageable World Cup group offers them hope for further success, Reuters continued.

"At the last finals, it was clear we lacked experience, but that's no longer the case. We are ready. We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I hope we play a good match and continue to make history. It's never easy at such tournaments, but I believe in our team," stated midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem.

Canada and Qatar will face each other tonight at 1:00 AM Bulgarian time.