 | |
| Founded | 1979; 46 years ago (1979) |
|---|---|
| Country | Qatar |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Qatar Stars League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Sheikh Jassem Cup Qatari Second Division Cup |
| Current champions | Al-Sailiya SC (5th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Al-Markhiya (6 titles) |
| Current:2025–26 Qatari Second Division | |
TheQatari Second Division (Arabic:دوري الدرجة الثانية القطري),QSD orSecond Division League, also was known asQatargas League due to sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the two-tierfootball league competition inQatar. Contested by 8 teams, it operates on a system ofpromotion and relegation with theQatar Stars League (QSL), the top-tier football league in the country. The QSD seasons, like those of the QSL, run from September to April.
The league's first season was played in 1979 which was won byAl-Ittihad. The club with the most QSD wins isAl-Markhiya which has won 6 QSD titles. According to the league's development strategy, starting with the 2022–23 season, the first-placed club of this league will play a relegation match against the tenth-placed club of the first league to decide which club will participate in the first league next season.[1] There is no relegation from the second division.[2]
In 1990, theQatar Football Association dissolved three second division clubs:Al Nasr,Al Tadamon, andAl Nahda. The clubs' players and staff were distributed to first division clubs. As a result, the Qatari Second Division was unofficially dissolved on a temporary basis.[3] The competition resumed operations in the 1996–97 season.[4] The first promotion play-off took place in the 1999–00 season, between Second Division championsMuaither SC and the bottom-ranked team of theQatar Stars League,Al Shamal. Muaither lost the match.[5]
It was announced on 15 April 2009 that no clubs would be relegated from the top flight in the2008–09 season, due to expansion reasons, however the announcement was made with only one game remaining.[6] This meant that the Qatari Second Division would remain with the same number of teams despite the recent formation ofLekhwiya SC andEl Jaish SC, while the top flight would expand to 12 teams.
On 6 October 2013 it was announced Qatari Second Division had a sponsorship withQatargas.[7]
An annual competition known as theQatari Second Division Cup is played by all second division clubs.[8]
Source:[9]
| Qatari Second Division | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Location | Stadium | Year Formed |
| Al Bidda SC | Doha | 2015 | |
| Al Kharaitiyat | Al Kharaitiyat | Al Khor SC Stadium | 1996 |
| Al-Khor | Al Khor | Al-Khor SC Stadium | 1961 |
| Al-Mesaimeer | Al-Rayyan, | Al-Sailiya SC Stadium | 1996 |
| Al-Shahania | Al-Rayyan, | Grand Hamad Stadium | 1998 |
| Al-Waab | Al Waab,Doha | 2019 | |
| Lusail | Lusail,Al Daayen | 2014 | |
| Muaither SC | Muaither,Al-Rayyan | Thani bin Jassim Stadium | 1996 |
| Town or city | Number of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Al Rayyan | 14 | Al-Sailiya SC (4),Al-Gharafa SC (4),Al-Rayyan SC (2),Muaither SC (2),Mesaimeer (1),Al-Shahania (1) |
| Doha | 12 | Al-Markhiya (6),Al-Jaish (3),Lekhwiya SC (1),Al Ahli (1), Al-Nahda (1) |
| Umm Salal | 5 | Umm Salal SC (3),Al Kharaitiyat (2) |
| Al Shamal | 4 | Al-Shamal (4) |
| Al Wakrah | 2 | Al-Wakrah SC (2) |
| Al Khor | 1 | Al-Taawun (Al Khor) (1) |
| Year | Best scorers | Team | Goals | |||
| 1998–99 |  | Osama Adam | ? | 13[10] | ||
| 2007–08 |  | Gonzalo Gutiérrez | Al Markhiya | 15 | ||
| 2008–09 | | Gonzalo Gutiérrez | Muaither | 14 | ||
| 2010–11 |  | Abdulqadir Ilyas | El Jaish | 12 | ||
| 2011–12 |  | Michaël N'dri | Al Sailiya | 16 | ||
| 2012–13 |  | Jean-Paul Eale Lutula | Muaither | 12 | ||
| 2013–14 |  | Ali Ferydoon | Al Shamal | 19 | ||
| 2014–15 | | Rodrigo Tabata | Al Rayyan | 20 | ||
| 2015–16 |  | Mahmoud Za'tara | Muaither | 20 | ||
| 2016–17 |  | Selemani Ndikumana | Mesaimeer | 19 | ||
| 2017–18 |  | Luciano Vázquez | Al Shahaniya | 15 | ||
| 2018–19 |  | Mamadou Diawara Omar Ali Nana Poku | Muaither Al Wakrah Al Wakrah | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 |  | Rachid Tiberkanine | Al Kharaitiyat | 18 | ||
| 2020–21 |  | Baha' Faisal Birahim Gaye | Al Shamal Al Shahaniya | 17 | ||
| 2021–22 | | Rachid Tiberkanine | Al Kharaitiyat | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | | Alaeddine Ajaraie | Muaither | 11 | ||
| 2023–24 |   | Idrissa Thiam Tiago Reis | Mesaimeer | 10 | ||
| National teams | |
|---|---|
| World Cup hosting | |
| League competitions | |
| Domestic cup competitions | |
| International cup competitions | |
| Rivalries and derbies | |
| Lists and categories | |