Qatar Stars League begins its competition today

The 2026-2027 Qatar Stars League kicks off today, Thursday, with the opening round featuring two matches: Al Wakrah versus Qatar SC, and Al Rayyan against Lusail. The new edition introduces changes to the player registration regulations, with the number of foreign players allowed on the pitch increased to seven, out of a maximum of ten registered foreigners per team.

Al Rayyan, who finished third last season, begins their campaign against new arrivals Lusail, with the balance of power seemingly tipping in favor of the team managed by Spanish coach Vicente Moreno. Al Rayyan has retained its core from last season, including Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Brazilians Roger Guedes and Wesley, and Spanish defender David Garcia.

Meanwhile, Lusail has made several signings, bringing in Spanish striker Rodrigo Michado, Argentine defender Franco Russo, and Iranian midfielder Omid Brahimipour.

Al Wakrah, which finished eighth last season, will face Qatar SC, who delivered a solid performance despite finishing sixth. Both clubs have retained their coaches—Chilean Jose Luis Sierra for Al Wakrah and Spanish coach "Tentent" Marques Lopez for Qatar SC—and have made several new signings in an effort to improve their performances.

Defending champions Al Sadd begin their title defense on Saturday against Al Ahli, aiming to reaffirm the dominance they established over the past three seasons. Al Sadd retained the title last season for the third consecutive time and the 19th time in their history, setting a record with an 11-title lead over their closest rivals, Al Duhail and Al Rayyan.

For this season, Al Sadd has appointed Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu as the replacement for Italian Roberto Mancini.