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The 2022 hosts make history by qualifying for a World Cup on merit for the first time — a significant milestone for a nation that invested enormously in football development after winning the hosting rights. Two-time Asian champions in 2019 and 2023, Qatar are no longer the underdogs their name once implied. Akram Afif, the AFC Player of the Year and one of Asia's most decorated talents, is the creative fulcrum of a side that plays attractive, possession-based football under coach Marquez Lopez. The Qatar Stars League has steadily improved, and many of the squad now have experience playing in front of massive European crowds from the 2022 World Cup home games. Group B presents a realistic opportunity: against Bosnia and Switzerland there are winnable matches, and earning their first ever World Cup points is an achievable and historic goal for a footballing programme that continues to defy expectations.

Qatar fixtures

Players to watch

• Akram Afif

  Forward · Al Sadd

  Qatar's most gifted footballer and AFC Player of the Year, Afif combines dribbling flair with a creative instinct that makes him unpredictable against any defence. He scored the winner in the 2023 Asian Cup final and represents the pinnacle of Qatar's football development programme.

• Almoez Ali

  Forward · Al Duhail

  The record scorer in Asian Cup history, Ali netted nine goals in a single edition of the tournament. His pace, anticipation and composure in front of goal make him Qatar's most dangerous outright striker, and his experience from the 2022 home World Cup gives him confidence at this level.

• Meshaal Barsham

  Goalkeeper · Al Sadd

  Qatar's first-choice goalkeeper, Barsham is an athletic shot-stopper with sharp reflexes developed through regular matches in the competitive Qatar Stars League. His performances helped Qatar keep their first clean sheets in Asian Cup history, and he has the composure to perform on the biggest stage.

Group B table