Qatar: The first taste of a desert jewel
Current world ranking: 50th
Number of World Cup appearances: one-hit wonders, debuts
Best all-time record: no breakthrough yet
The Road to Advancement
: Benefit from hosting
Head Coach: Félix Sánchez
Recent international performances:
September 27 vs. Qatar (Home) 2:2 Draw with Chile
Sept. 23 Loss to Qatar (home) 0:2 vs. Canada
Aug. 26 vs. Qatar (home) 1:1 Draw with Jamaica
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
[Team Highlights]
[Advantage The Qatar national team is new to the World Cup, but qualified by virtue of host status. Qatari soccer has improved rapidly in recent years, jumping from outside the top 100 to 50th in the rankings. The team is based on players from the local league, with two teams, Al Sadd Sports Club and Al Duhani, contributing most of the players.The team won the Asian Cup in 2019 and advanced to the quarterfinals of last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup as the visiting team, both led by striker Almoez Ali, who won the Golden Boot award twice.
Disadvantage Qatar team is based on height and tough style in the Asian soccer world, but against the strong European teams, the technical disadvantage is obvious. This World Cup against the Netherlands and Senegal and other powerful teams, although enjoy the advantages of the host, but the road to promotion is not optimistic.
In addition, Qatar's hosting of the World Cup was highly controversial, with a closed country, conservative issues of women's rights and homosexuality, and even rumors of bans on alcohol and nightlife during the World Cup. During the construction of the World Cup venues, there were rumors that at least 6,500 workers died and were treated poorly, casting a shadow over the World Cup.
Players in Focus Almoez Ali is the core of Qatar's offense and his performance directly affects the team's performance.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
Bassam Al Rawi
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
[Result Prediction]: Bottom of Group A
#A quick look at the World Cup team - Ecuador: the dream journey of the highland cheetahs
Current world ranking: 44th
Number of World Cup appearances: four
Previous tournament: not competing
Best performance: Round of 16 (2006)
The Road to Advancement
: Fourth place in the South American qualifying round
Head Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentinean)
Recent international performances:
September 27 vs. Ecuador (Home) 0:0 Draw with Japan
September 23 vs. Ecuador (Away) 0:0 Draw with Saudi Arabia
August 26 Defeated Ecuador (home) 1:0 Beat Cape Verde
[Team Highlights]
[Advantage Ecuador qualified for the South American qualifying round of the World Cup with an excellent home record, beating traditional powerhouses such as Colombia and Peru to finish fourth in the group. The team is centered on veterans Enner Valencia and Ángel Mena, supplemented by young players such as Moisés Caicedo, Pervis Estupiñán and Piero Hincapié and other up-and-comers, creating a healthy interaction of veterans bringing in newcomers.
