How will Qatar fare at the 2022 World Cup? Join @SteTudor123 as he looks at the tournament hosts in his everything you need to know guide ahead of this winter's competition...
History at the World Cup
This will be Qatar’s first appearance at a World Cup, their entry secured after a controversial decision was undertaken by FIFA in 2010 to award the state with the hosting of the competition. They will be the first Arab state to do so.
That decision led to widespread and fierce disapproval, with many critical of Qatar’s questionable human rights record, while on a practical – or should that be impractical? - level, the searing heat in the region has necessitated the tournament being moved to December, disrupting domestic seasons across Europe and beyond.
🏗️ "Right now, construction is everywhere."
— Bloomberg Middle East (@middleeast) September 29, 2022
Qatar, a country of 2.9 million people, is scrambling to prepare for up to 1.2 million visitors as it hosts the World Cup this yearhttps://t.co/4A4zSOMOlQ pic.twitter.com/DqtOnNlKB5
As a footballing entity, Qatar have evolved significantly in recent years, winning an AFC Asian Cup title in 2019 and reaching the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup last year.
Their distant World Cup odds may have pitch them as unrealistic outsiders but this is not a team to write-off too quickly, even if our tournament predictions do tip them to struggle in each of their three group encounters.
A reluctance to under-estimate them is largely because head coach Feliz Sanchez has brought a Spanish flavour to their set-up, installing a fluid 3-5-2 system that is brave enough to press high.
When they’re on their game there are goals in this team, as evidenced by a competition-high of 19 scored in their Asian Cup triumph.
Qatar Nickname
The Maroon are known as such due to the national flag composing of bands of maroon and white merged by serrated points.
One band symbolises unity, the other dignity, and its delineation is believed to date back to the Bronze Age, when a factory made purple-red dyes from a shellfish that thrived in the region. So now you know.
World Cup 2022 Group
There are in truth far tougher groups elsewhere, and Holland aside, Qatar won’t be overly intimidated by facing Senegal and Ecuador, sides ranked 18th and 44th in the FIFA world rankings respectively.
Qatar’s opening test against Ecaudor may not be one of the stand-out dates from this World Cup but it will give both outsiders a real opportunity to stamp their mark on Group A, especially with Senegal expected to lose to Oranje.
Qatar Fixtures:
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Qatar vs Ecuador - 20th November
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Qatar vs Senegal - 25th November
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Qatar vs Netherlands - 29th November
Qatar Kit World Cup 2022
There are no prizes for guessing the colour of Qatar’s home kit, given their nickname, and the bold hue looks all the better accompanied by a simple design set off by detail on the cuffs to denote the national flag.
The high, central badge is also a winner courtesy of Nike.
Our national team's new kit is the highlight of the dressing room, ahead of tonight's friendly against Canada 🤩🔥 pic.twitter.com/CvdahxGkG4
— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) September 23, 2022
The away top is even more stark, allowing the maroon in the badge to stand out.
Happy birthday to @QFA_EN's centenarian and #AsianCup winner Karim Boudiaf 🥳
— #ACFutsal2022 (@afcasiancup) September 16, 2022
What first comes to your mind when thinking of him? 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/fxSrHIX6iI
Who Is The Qatar Manager?
Qatar have made giant strides in the past decade and so much of that is down to Felix Sanchez, a Catalonian coach who was first entrusted in 2006 to nurture Doha’s most promising young talent.
After excelling with the youth set-up, Sanchez took charge of the full team in 2017, wasting little time in guiding them to an unprecedented AFC Asian Cup title.
Best Qatar Player
Whether Akram Afif is the host nation’s best player is up for debate, but he certainly has the worldliest experience spending almost all of his career to date in Belgium and Spain.
The fleet-footed winger boasts 25 goals in 85 outings for his country and typically plays off the main striker, given license to roam.
👏 Al Sadd star Akram Afif wins the Best Player Award for the 2021-2022 season 🏆👑#QFAawards pic.twitter.com/yU3w7KMUhn
— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) May 18, 2022
Qatar Odds at World Cup 2022
The Maroon are unsurprisingly rank outsiders in the football betting to win the tournament outright. Indeed, should they reach the quarter-finals it would be little short of a miracle.
Claiming a scalp in the group stage, however, is not beyond them and a 51/20 price to beat a dangerous but unpredictable Ecuador in the opening fixture appeals.
Bet on Qatar at the 2022 World Cup with 888sport today!
