Group A of the World Cup is a fascinating quartet in every way. Host Qatar and Ecuador square off Nov. 20 to open the tournament. Senegal, the African champion, has its best team ever, while the Netherlands is looking to make yet another deep run after missing out on 2018.
Here is everything to know about Qatar:
Coach: Félix Sánchez
Highest finish: This is Qatar’s World Cup debut
2018 finish: Didn’t qualify
FOX Bet odds: +50000
Key players: Almoez Ali, Abdelkarim Hassan, Hassan Al-Haydos
What we’re excited to watch: With the entire roster based in the Qatari league and employed across just a handful of clubs, the hosts should be one of the most cohesive teams in the tournament.
What success looks like: Surviving the group stage. Every previous World Cup host, with the exception of South Africa in 2010, has advanced to the tournament’s knockout phase.
Achilles' heel: Inexperience.
X-Factor: Their counterattack. With Ali, Al-Haydos and Akram Afif, Qatar is deadly in transition moments.
Three Things You Need To Know About Qatar
Full roster
Goalkeepers: Saad Al-Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousef Hassan
Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Musaab Khidir, Tarek Salman, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Jassem Gaber
Midfielders: Ali Asad, Assim Madabo, Mohammed Waad, Salem Al-Hajri, Moustafa Tarek, Karim Boudiaf, Abdelaziz Hatim, Ismail Mohamad
Forwards: Naif Al-Hadhrami, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Hassan Al-Haydos, Khalid Muneer, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntari
Read more on the World Cup:
- Group A Team Guides: Ecuador | Senegal | Netherlands
- USMNT World Cup roster: Get to know all 26 players
- Alexi Lalas reacts to USMNT roster reveal
- 101 most memorable World Cup moments
- 50 reasons to be excited for the World Cup
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
