Hosts Qatar will be hoping to make home advantage pay in the 2022 World Cup.
The Arab nation are at the World Cup for the first ever time and will hope that hosting the tournament will boost their performance as it did for a number of previous hosts including South Korea in 2002.
However, they have had some success in recent years with the 2019 Asian Cup win, winning all seven games and beating Japan 3-1 in the final.
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Latest Qatar odds to win the World Cup
| Betting Market | BetUK Odds |
| Qatar to win the World Cup | 1000/1 |
| Qatar to reach semi-final odds | 100/1 |
| Qatar to reach quarter-final odds | 70/1 |
| Qatar odds to win Group A | 80/1 |
| Akram Afif World Cup Golden Boot odds | 250/1 |
*You have to be 18+ to gamble. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (17:00, 22/11/2022). GambleAware.
Our recommended Qatar bet for World Cup 2022
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The odds are very much against Qatar placed in a tough group, especially having become the first host nation to lose their opening match following the 2-0 defeat by Ecuador.
Therefore, the best bet may be for them just to get out of Group A – having to finish ahead of at least two of Ecuador, the Netherlands and Senegal.
Qatar route to the World Cup 2022 Final in Qatar
Group stage fixtures
| Fixture | Stadium | Date* |
| Qatar 0-2 Ecuador | Al Bayt Stadium | 20 November, 4pm |
| Qatar vs Senegal | Al Thurmama Stadium | 25 November, 1pm |
| Netherlands vs Qatar | Al Bayt Stadium | 29 November, 3pm |
*All times GMT
As hosts, Qatar qualified automatically for the tournament and were placed in pot one, with a guaranteed spot in Group A. But the draw wasn’t too kind of them, and defeat by Ecuador has severely dented their last-16 hopes. Next up for them is African champions Senegal, who secured the Africa Cup of Nations title earlier in the year, before ending against European giants the Netherlands.
Who could Qatar meet in the knockout rounds?
Should Qatar defy the odds and win Group A, their first opponent would be the runners-up of Group B, one of England, Wales, USA and Iran. Then, it’s either the Group C winner or Group D runners-up, which brings the likes of Argentina, France, Denmark and Poland into play. Of course, there are no easy routes at the World Cup, but this is a particularly tough one with Brazil and France among those that Qatar could face en route to the final.
| If Qatar win Group A | Potential opponent |
| Round of 16 | Wales |
| Quarter-Final | Argentina |
| Semi-Final | Brazil |
| Final | France |
If Qatar manage to finish second in the group they would face the winners of Group B, currently backed to be England. Then it’s a horrific run which could see them facing the last two World Cup winners in France and then Germany before battling it out against five-time winners, and favourites, Brazil.
| If Qatar come runners up in Group A | Potential opponent |
| Round of 16 | England |
| Quarter-Final | France |
| Semi-Final | Germany |
| Final | Brazil |
Confirmed Qatar World Cup 2022 squad
| Player | Position | Age | Club |
| Saad Al Sheeb | Goalkeeper | 32 | Al-Sadd |
| Meshaal Barsham | Goalkeeper | 24 | Al-Sadd |
| Yousef Hassan | Goalkeeper | 26 | Al-Gharafa |
| Ro-Ro | Defender | 32 | Al-Sadd |
| Abdelkarim Hassan | Defender | 29 | Al-Sadd |
| Tarek Salman | Defender | 24 | Al-Sadd |
| Musab Kheder | Defender | 29 | Al-Sadd |
| Homam Ahmed | Defender | 23 | Al-Gharafa |
| Bassam Al-Rawi | Defender | 24 | Al-Duhail |
| Boualem Khoukhi | Defender | 32 | Al-Sadd |
| Ismaeel Mohammad | Defender | 32 | Al-Duhail |
| Jassem Gaber | Defender | 20 | Al-Arabi |
| Mohammed Waad | Midfielder | 23 | Al-Sadd |
| Abdulaziz Hatem | Midfielder | 32 | Al-Rayyan |
| Ali Assadalla | Midfielder | 29 | Al-Sadd |
| Karim Boudiaf | Midfielder | 32 | Al-Duhail |
| Assim Madibo | Midfielder | 26 | Al-Duhail |
| Salem Al-Hajri | Midfielder | 26 | Al-Sadd |
| Mostafa Meshaal | Midfielder | 21 | Al-Sadd |
| Mohammed Muntari | Forward | 28 | Al-Duhail |
| Hassan Al-Haydos | Forward | 31 | Al-Sadd |
| Akram Afif | Forward | 25 | Al-Sadd |
| Ahmed Alaaeldin | Forward | 29 | Al-Gharafa |
| Khalid Muneer | Forward | 24 | Al-Wakrah |
| Almoez Ali | Forward | 26 | Al-Duhail |
| Naif Al-Hadhrami | Forward | 21 | Al-Rayyan |
Qatar players to watch at this year’s World Cup 2022
Qatar top World Cup Golden Boot contender – Akram Afif
Akram Afif may be a familiar to fans of Spanish football, having spent time with Sevilla, Villarreal and Sporting Gijon, playing nine times in La Liga for the latter.
But it’s on home soil where Afif has thrived, netting 76 goals in 124 appearances for current club Al-Sadd, whom he rejoined from Villarreal in 2020.
The 25-year-old made his Qatar debut way back in September 2015, and found the net in a 15-0 thrashing of Bhutan. Since that match, Afif has added a further 23 goals, including one at the victorious 2019 Asian Cup, and two in the 2021 Gold Cup.
Qatar player to watch – Almoez Ali
Afif isn’t the top scorer in the Qatar squad, however. That honour belongs to Almoez Ali, who many will look to to inspire Qatar at the World Cup.
With 42 goals in 86 appearances, Ali is Qatar’s joint-all-time top goalscorer, moving level with Mansour Muftah thanks to a goal in a 1-0 win over Albania just before the World Cup.
Ali is still only 26 and will be hoping to take the outright record in front of his home crowd this winter, building off the nine goals he scored en route to the 2019 Asian Cup win.
Qatar emerging player to look out for – Mostafa Meshaal
There are a couple of younger players in Qatar’s final squad, one of them being Mostafa Meshaal.
The midfielder has made just one appearance for Qatar so far, a five-minute cameo in a recent friendly against Jamaica.
While he may not start, Meshaal will definitely benefit from the experience, and he will be a key part of Qatar’s defence for years to come.
Qatar tactical analysis & likely formation at the World Cup
Qatar have been setting up lately in a 3-5-2/5-3-2 variation, with the aim of providing more defensive stability when facing the bigger teams, but not restricting them going forward.
Felix Sanchez opted for that formation in the opening game against Ecuador, but the coach may look to rotate his players following the 2-0 defeat.
Saad Al-Sheeb looked shaky in goal behind the back three of Bassam Al Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi and Abdelkarim Hassan, with Ro-Ro and Homam Ahmed at wing-back. Meanwhile, Ali and Afif desperately needed more support up front from the midfield trio of Hassan Al Haydos, Karim Boudiaf and Abdulaziz Hatim.
Qatar FAQs
Where are Qatar in the Fifa world rankings?
Qatar are currently 50th in the world, dropping two in the latest rankings update. Their highest position of 42nd was achieved in August 2021.
Who is the Qatar manager?
Felix Sanchez is the Qatar manager, taking over in 2017 having also coached the nation at various youth levels. The Spaniard also has experience working in Barcelona’s La Masia.
Who is the current Qatar captain?
Hassan Al-Haydos is the Qatar captain and their most-capped player with 169 appearances.
How many times have Qatar won the World Cup?
Qatar have never won the World Cup.
How many times have Qatar competed in the World Cup?
This will be Qatar’s first ever appearance at the World Cup.
Who has scored Qatar most goals in World Cup tournaments?
As Qatar are yet to feature at the World Cup, this honour will be up for grabs in November and December.
Which player from Qatar has the most World Cup appearances?
Qatar haven’t featured at the World Cup yet.