Qatar
National Team Information
Qatar National Football Team History
Beginnings
Qatar is relatively new to the international soccer scene, since the Qatar Football Federation wasn’t established until 1960. The federation joined FIFA in 1970, and the Qatar national football team dropped its first international 2-1 to Bahrain.
The Maroon won their first match four years later with a 4-0 win over Oman in the Gulf Cup. The Qatar national football team finished in third place on the FIFA World Cup Standings, which was their best showing in the Gulf Cup until 1984. They took Iraq to extra time and penalties in the final but fell 4-3 in the latter.
One of Qatar’s most impressive wins came in the 1988 Asian Cup as it defeated Japan by a 3-0 scoreline. Defender Adel Khamis scored a double in the match, but hosts Qatar national football team finished third out of five in their group.
The 1990s marked the best period for the national team up to that point. The Maroon finished atop their group in the first round of 1990 World Cup qualifying; however, they finished below the UAE and South Korea in the final round to miss out on the World Cup.
First Trophy Win… and Then More
Qatar national football team won its first trophy in 1992; they won the Gulf Cup despite losing their last match at the competition. The Marron were also runners-up in the 1996 and 1998 editions of the tournament.
They were also one win away from qualifying for France 1998 but lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in their final match. After years of managing club teams in Qatar, Bosnian Džemaludin Mušović was named Qatar’s head coach in 2004, and he immediately led the Maroon to a 2004 Gulf Cup victory.
Success Leads to Investment
Qatar were criticized for lax naturalization policies that allowed several Brazilian-born players to compete for the WC National team. As a result, FIFA tightened its eligibility restrictions for national team players. Even so, Qatar found success in the 2010s.
In 2010, Qatar were named as hosts for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, spurring a wave of investment in soccer in the country. The Qatar World Cup is to be the first in the Middle East. In 2014, the Maroon won both the WAFF Cup and the Gulf Cup. In the latter, Qatar completed a comeback win against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh to lift the trophy for a third time.
With a First FIFA World Cup at Home
Failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Qatar will become the first team, since Italy in 1934, whose first FIFA World Cup match will be on home soil; however, the Maroon made an improbable run to win the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and take home their first major international trophy.
Qatar national football team only conceded one goal throughout the whole tournament and picked up wins over powers Saudi Arabia and Japan. Almoez Ali finished the tournament as Golden Boot winner and Saad Al Sheeb was named Best GK. Qatar were invited to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and impressively made the semifinals. Ali was the top scorer in a second-straight major tournament.
Qatar 2022 Odds
Qatar became the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup, in 2022. As the host nation, the national team automatically qualified for the tournament. They were awarded the tournament’s opening match in their first World Cup appearance. Qatar’s soccer betting odds to advance to the knockout stage were slim, at just +400. They lost 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening match. They received the unwelcome distinction of becoming the first-ever host nation to lose their opening match.
Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar’s first-ever goal at a World Cup in the next match. However, the Maroons lost 3-1 to Senegal and became the first team to get eliminated from knockout stage contention. Facing a difficult Netherlands side in their last match, Qatar lost 2-0. Qatar and Canada were the only two teams to lose every single match they played.
- Mubarak Mustafa – Goals: 41
- Almoez Ali – Goals: 39
- Sebastian Soria – Goals: 38
- Hassan Al-Haydos – Goals: 33
- Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi – Goals: 32
As of May 2022, Mubarak Mustafa is Qatar’s leading scorer and the forward was part of the first Qatar team to win a trophy in 1992. Some other players from that “Golden Generation” include midfielder Khalid Salman, defender Adel Khamis and Mahmoud Soufi.
Almoez Ali is well on his way to breaking Mustafa’s record and even has two Golden Boot wins at major tournaments.
Winger Akram Afif is one of the most heralded prospects to ever come out of Qatar. His performances in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup helped him win the 2019 Asian Footballer of the Year.
Another winger, Khalfan Ibrahim, became the first player to win the Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2006. He’s sometimes called the “Maradona of Qatar” for his dribbling exploits and even played for the national team from 2006-2015.
Forward Hassan al-Haydos has made by far the most appearances of any Qatar National team player and he’s a top-five leading scorer.
Qatar’s only major trophy came at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Almoez Ali was nearly unstoppable in the group stage and he scored in all three matches. Qatar defeated Lebanon 2-0 in their first match and followed it up with a 6-0 win over North Korea. Ali found the net four times when playing versus the North Koreans. He also scored both of Qatar’s goals in the 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia. With a 3-0 record, Qatar finished in first place in the group, which set up a round-of-16 matchup versus Iraq.
Bassam Al-Rawi scored the game’s only goal to help the Maroons advance to the quarterfinals. Qatar pulled off a big upset over South Korea to advance to the semifinals for the first time in team history.
In the semifinals, Qatar destroyed the host nation, UAE, 4-0. The Maroons faced four-time AFC Asian Cup champions Japan in the final.
Qatar pulled off yet another upset to win 3-1. With nine goals, Almoez Ali was the tournament’s top scorer and he was named best player. Qatar keeper Saad Al-Sheeb was also recognized as the tournament’s best goalkeeper as he conceded just one goal.
Qatar’s first World Cup appearance was in 2022 and they dropped all three of their matches. The host nation finished in dead last place, with no points and a -6 goal difference. It is currently their worst performance at any major tournament.
Qatar Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Qatar Stars League:
Those interested in Qatar soccer betting may find it easier to bet on the Qatar Stars League. This is the top division in Qatar and features 12 clubs. The league follows a double round-robin format and the team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion. The last-place team is relegated to the second tier, while the 11th-placed team contests a relegation playoff.
Qatar Stars League Clubs 2022-2023:
| Team |
|---|
| Al Ahli |
| Al-Arabi |
| Al-Duhail |
| Al-Gharafa SC |
| Al-Markhiya SC |
| Al-Rayyan SC |
| Al Sadd SC |
| Al Sailiya |
| Al-Shamal SC |
| Al-Wakrah SC |
| Qatar SC |
| Umm Salal SC |
Qatari Second Division:
The only other professional Qatari soccer league is the Qatari Second Division. There are only eight clubs in the Qatari Second Division and no relegation structure.
A maximum of two teams can earn promotion to the Qatar Stars League each season. The champions are automatically promoted, while the second-place team plays a one-match playoff vs. the 11th-placed Qatar Stars League team.
Qatari Second Division Clubs 2022-2023:
| Team |
|---|
| Al Bidda SC |
| Al Kharaitiyat |
| Al-Khor |
| Al-Mesaimeer |
| Al-Shahania |
| Al-Waab |
| Lusail |
| Muaither SC |
Qatar Cups & Tournaments
Qatar’s soccer teams from the two professional divisions compete in the Emir of Qatar Cup each season. The tournament follows a single-elimination format and it has been played since 1972. The most successful team in the tournament’s history, heading into 2023, is Al Sadd, with 18 titles.
The Qatar Cup is a competition that features the top four teams in the previous season’s Qatar Stars League. Both the semifinal fixtures and final are played as a single leg.
All of Qatar’s professional teams that don’t qualify for the Qatar Cup participate in the Qatar FA Cup. The tournament was played for the first time in 2021 and Al Sailiya won the inaugural title.
The Qatari Stars Cup is only open to teams participating in the Qatar Stars League. It takes place during the season and the 12 teams are split into two groups. Each group plays a round-robin and the top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. Both the semifinals and final are single-leg fixtures.
The Sheikh Jassim Cup is Qatar’s version of a Super Cup. The match features the winner of the Qatar Stars League against the Emir of Qatar Cup winner. Al Sadd are also the most successful club in this competition.
Qatar Soccer Betting Information
Betting on Qatari Soccer
There are plenty of options for Qatar soccer betting, given the number of concurrent competitions. Along with the top two leagues, there are five cup competitions each season to bet on.
Bettors who follow team news can certainly find an advantage, with teams juggling multiple competitions. While the Qatar Stars League is still relatively unknown, plenty of famous players have played in the league.
Barcelona legend Xavi both played for and managed Al Sadd before managing his former club. Other high-level players like James Rodriguez, Mario Mandzukic, Santi Cazorla, Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o have played in the league in recent years.
In the Qatar Stars League, the most dominant teams have been Al-Sadd and Al-Duhail recently. Those two clubs and Al-Rayyan are the only three teams that have won titles in the last ten years. It’s typically an exciting league to watch, as it is high-scoring.
In the 2021-22 season, matches averaged 3.21 goals per game. Al Sadd were completely dominant, as they scored 80 goals in just 22 matches. Both teams scored in 56 percent of matches and three or more goals were also scored 56 percent of the time.
Bizarrely, road teams won more than home teams in 2021-22. Just 21 percent of matches finished in draws, too. In the first half of the 2022-23 season, winning percentages between home and road teams were similar as well.
Qatar National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Betting tips certainly didn’t recommend Qatar to make a deep run at the World Cup in 2022. They had never before played at a World Cup and proved to be the weakest host nation in tournament history.
Qatar scored just one goal and conceded multiple goals in each of their three matches. Even though their performance was subpar, the Qatar national team is on the rise.
There has been significant investment in Qatari soccer in recent years and the team has plenty of experience now. It will be interesting to see if they’re able to progress to the World Cup through qualifiers for the first time in team history.
The Maroons did win the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and can be competitive 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the AFC. They’re also the hosts and defending champions at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Almoez Ali should soon become Qatar’s lone all-time leading scorer and he should be around for a while. The same goes for fellow forwards Akram Afif and Mohammed Muntari.
Qatar had goalkeeping problems at the World Cup and their continued progression may depend on sorting it out. Experienced manager Carlos Queiroz took over as Qatar’s coach following the 2022 World Cup. He’s not known for attacking football but his brand has often proven to be effective.
Summary
A lot of attention was brought to Qatari soccer given their status as hosts of the World Cup. The domestic leagues in Qatar are still quite exotic bets, which is exacerbated by the fact that betting is illegal within Qatar.
Meanwhile, the Maroons of Qatar could continue to improve in the coming years. They’ve had good performances at the latest AFC Asian Cup and Gold Cup and could contend in the AFC.
