The Qatar Football Association and AFC are in charge of the Qatar national football team, which plays for Qatar in international competitions.
The team is locally known as The Maroon and has competed in ten Asian Cup competitions, and in 2019 it claimed a single victory.
Jassim Bin Hamad and Khalifa International Stadiums serve as their home venues.
History
The Maroon have recently been moving up the ladder.
However, there have been constant development and ascent through the Asian football league. In 1960, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) was established.
It gained FIFA membership on a formal basis three years later. However, the national squad lost 2-1 to Bahrain in its inaugural encounter against them in the biennial Gulf Cup in 1970.
Earlier progress
Nevertheless, in the second group game of the Gulf Cup in 1974, Qatar defeated Oman 4-0 to win their first-ever international game, finishing third.
The Maroon participated in the Asian Cup qualifiers the following year. However, they were unsuccessful in getting into the competition.
In 1977, Qatar defeated Bahrain in its first World Cup qualifying match. However, they came in third place. Therefore, they were eliminated from the group.
Qatar, coached by former Barcelona and Brazil winger Evaristo, made its debut at the 1980 Asia Cup. Later in 1984, the team made it to the Gulf Cup final for the first time. Still, they fell to Iraq on penalties, losing 4-3.
The 1990s and 2000s
Qatar won against Egypt and held Colombia to a draw to earn a spot in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Also, the team won its first-ever Gulf Cup in the same year, winning four of its five competitive games.
In the 1997 World Cup qualifiers for the 1998 tournament, Qatar advanced to the final round. However, they could not advance because of a defeat to Saudi Arabia in the last match.
A victory would have guaranteed a trip to France in 1998.
The Maroon, as hosts, won a second Gulf Cup in 2004. They defeated Iraq in the 2006 Asian Games final, winning their first gold medal two years later.
Recent success and development
2014 marked a turning point for Qatari football, with only one loss all year. The group also captured the Gulf Cup and West Asia Football Federation titles.
Qatar won the 2019 Asian Cup for the first time against all odds. The team won the championship by defeating Japan in the final and South Korea in the quarterfinals.
Throughout the entire competition, they only allowed one goal.
The same year, Qatar received an invitation to compete in Copa America. However, despite a thrilling 2-2 draw with Paraguay, the team dropped its next two matches and finished last in its group.
The team was invited to compete in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they advanced to the semifinals. However, they lost to the eventual champions, the USA, 1-0.
World Cup debut
Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Therefore, they will automatically qualify for the championships to make their debut.
Also, this competition will be hosted by an Arab country for the first time starting in November this year.
Team image
Qatar’s home uniform is maroon, and its away uniform is white.
The soccer jersey for Qatar 2022 debuts a simple yet unique design. It is primarily maroon and has a centered logo and a Qatari flag-inspired cuff design.
The Qatari coastline and the custom of pearl digging served as inspiration for the colors and style of the away jersey for the 2022 World Cup.
Players info
For a training camp in Austria and Spain to be ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a roster of 30 players was called up.
The majority of the players are from local teams. On September 23 and 27, the team faced off against Canada and Chile in two friendly games.
Hassan Al-Haydos, the team’s captain, is the most capped player in the current squad.
Defenders Boualem Khoukhi and Abdelkarim Hassan have 100 caps and 124 caps for the team, with a remarkable 20 and 15 goals, respectively. Other top defenders include Ró-Ró, Musab Kheder, and Tarek Salman.
Among the team’s strikers include Akram Afif and Mohammed Muntari. Midfielder Karim Boudiaf, Abdulaziz Hatem and Ali Assadalla form an essential combination for The Maroon. Saad Al Sheeb is a crucial goalkeeper and has 81 appearances for the national team.
Other
In the early 2010s, Qatar continued its campaign to naturalize athletes born abroad. Qatari authorities said it was a humanitarian endeavor and a way to provide native players with the competition.
However, detractors asserted that it was another exploitation strategy for bringing in naturalized players.
Recently, the reliance on naturalized players has decreased. Only two team members that defeated Switzerland in a friendly in 2018 were foreign-born.
FAQ
Who are the traditional rivals of The Qatar National team?
Due to previous hostilities between the nations, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are Qatar’s main rivals.
Who is the top scorer in the current Qatar team?
Almoez Ali is the best goal-scorers on the team, with 39 goals from his 76 caps.
How many appearances does Qatar have at the World Cup finals?
Qatar will debut in the 2022 World Cup where they qualified as hosts.
