Feature
Four years on from hosting the world, Qatar arrive at the finals stripped of the home-soil expectation — and that might just suit them. Julen Lopetegui has stitched together a plan built on patience and counter-punching, but a leaky qualifying campaign that shipped goals at an alarming rate, plus disrupted preparation, leaves real doubts at the back. The question is simple: can the experience up top paper over the cracks behind it?
That's that, then. Qatar are out at the group stage — the maths finally caught up. A disappointing end, but there'll be stories to tell and lessons to take from it.
Akram Afif
Qatar's creative heartbeat and the man they'll lean on to spark something out of nothing.
Julen Lopetegui
A seasoned coach betting on discipline and the counter-attack to keep Qatar in games.
Age profile
Club homes
Al Sadd6
Al-Duhail SCGoalkeepers
Defenders
Al-Rayyan SC4
Al Wakrah3
Al-Arabi SC2
Al-Gharafa2+1 more club
26 Other
Experience
The most-capped head in the squad — Al-Duhail SC.
Not on the scoresheet yet.
