When Qatar hit rock bottom, it might have been an irrelevant detail. Until, a few weeks in 2010 after they reached their lowest world ranking of 113th, they were awarded the 2022 World Cup. If much of the focus in the subsequent 12 years has concerned the off-field issues that rendered Qatar a controversial choice as hosts, on the pitch they risked embarrassment.
When they kick off against Ecuador on Sunday, it is with an altogether better pedigree. Qatar have won their last five games, albeit against teams who have not qualified for the World Cup. For the first time, they won the Asian Cup in 2019. They were Gold Cup semi-finalists in 2021. As the Qatari league paused in September, they have had longer to prepare than anyone else. Some of it has been spent at a training camp in Marbella. Some of their summer involved playing friendlies against European club sides.
