Antonio reveals rockets flew past his hotel window on first day at Al Sailiya in Qatar

Michail Antonio has spoken candidly about the alarming circumstances surrounding his arrival in Qatar, revealing he watched rockets fly past his hotel window on the very first day of the US-Iran conflict after joining Al Sailiya in March 2026.

The former West Ham striker had endured a lengthy road back to professional football following a devastating leg break sustained in a car crash in December 2024. After months of rehabilitation — including training stints with Brentford, Leicester, and Charlton, each of whom offered him a contract before further setbacks intervened — Antonio eventually moved to Qatar, where he said the lifestyle helped him rebuild his game.

The timing of his arrival, however, could hardly have been worse. “On the very first day of the war, I was looking out of my hotel room, seeing rockets fly past,” he told FourFourTwo. “The hotel would shake when they were getting blocked. That was scary, but it was completely fine other than that day.”

Despite the dramatic introduction, Antonio said he settled well into life in the Gulf and has not ruled out returning there once his playing days are over. “Later in life, after I do my presenting and stuff like that, I’ll probably end up retiring out there,” he said.

Antonio had continued training with West Ham’s under-21 side through August 2025 to aid his recovery, but it took until the following March before he secured a new club. He said the prolonged wait never shook his belief in his own ability. “Every club I trained with wanted to sign me — I knew I still had the quality,” he said.

While not officially retired from football, Antonio is already building a portfolio of ventures for life after the game. These include a kinetics business focused on movement coaching for football clubs, a stake in a tequila company, and the Samba Stars Academy in Ghana — one of whose players, Listowell Lord Hinneh, recently signed for Middlesbrough. He has also been working as a pundit and presenter, covering domestic and European football during the 2025/26 season.