IT is the most controversial World Cup in history and hosts Qatar will also create their own bit of history by becoming the first host nation to be debuting in football’s biggest tournament.
The country has certainly been under the microscope in the build-up with questions raised over oppressive LGBTQ+ laws, a questionable human rights record, and the treatment of migrant workers who have helped create the eight stadiums hosting the competition.
In contrast, the actual football team involved have flown under the radar and they will be eagerly waiting in the wings to try and make their mark against some of the world’s top footballing talents.
Qatar are 500/1 outsiders to pick up the trophy they are hosting and, in all honesty, any form of result in their Group A fixtures would be deemed a success.
With this said their surprise package may serve as a curveball due to the entirety of the squad playing their football for relatively unknown Qatari clubs.
Former Barcelona youth team coach Felix Sanchez is the man in charge, and he will be hoping that his side can channel the confidence that guided them to Asia Cup glory in 2019.
In a stunning run to the trophy, Qatar lifted the title for the first time in their history by winning all three of their group stage matches and their knockout games before tumbling Japan in the final.
They scored 19 goals along the way, conceding just one, and it was easily the national team’s biggest triumph to date.
It should also be noted that Qatar won the U19 Asia Cup and eight of that winning side went on to win the senior edition of the tournament together, with six of those spending time in the country’s Aspire Academy set-up.
As a result of the tournament win, Sanchez was handed a new bumper deal, which expires at the end of the World Cup. He will be hoping for a positive display in front of home fans to extend his stint as an international coach.
The country’s past history of managers has been quite different with neither of their previous seven coaches having overseen more than 16 fixtures.
Sanchez, in contrast, will manage his 70th match as coach when Qatar opens the World Cup against Ecuador on November 20. And by the end of the group stage, he will have been in charge for 1,975 days, longer than any previous manager.
They may be a country competing at the World Cup but Qatar have been participating much like a club side in recent times. The squad have been together for the past six months in a training camp sanctioned by the Qatar Stars League.
Sanchez and his side have been travelling Europe playing countless friendly matches to try and boost their preparations for their World Cup debut, with competitive matches a rarity.
With the extended preparations and the hosts being accustomed to the heat and conditions, Qatar should not be ruled out of qualification from their group, but it will certainly be a tough ask.
If they are to be a success at the tournament 26-year-old striker Almoez Ali will be key to it. Having come through the Qatari youth ranks he is, without doubt, the star man. Having broken multiple records for the national side, he currently sits as his country’s highest goalscorer and he will be aiming to add to that on the greatest stage of all.
His strike partner Akram Afif is also one to watch and he is probably the most notable player in the Qatar squad having starred in La Liga for Villareal after signing in 2016. He has since come back to his homeland to ply his trade, but he has returned an improved player. His pace will be an outlet that the defensive set-up of Qatar will look to utilise as much as possible over the course of their World Cup campaign.
Facing Ecuador in their opening match looks like the best chance for Qatar to gain points in their group with tests against the Netherlands and Senegal certain to cause problems.
It will be interesting to see how this team fairs in their World Cup debut, but it will likely be more pressing matters than the football team that hit the headlines throughout the competition.
