The list of participants in each FIFA World Cup usually has at least one surprise, and Qatar 2022 is far from being the exception. Every qualifier that gives a spot to this tournament has its own degree of difficulty depending on the teams that form them. But even those that may seem easier represent a big challenge for smaller nations to make it to the main event.
So, the main way to be in a World Cup for some nations may be just to host it. That’s exactly what happened in this case. Qatar will play in this competition because is the one organizing it. Of course, every country that receives that honor gets the benefit of taking part in it too. This could be very well compared to what had South Africa in the center stage in 2010.
Also, the home squad gets drawn automatically in group A. The other interesting advantage is that they will be in the inaugural game of the World Cup, in this case going up against South American foes Ecuador on November 20. The other opponents are Senegal and Netherlands. But that creates another question about their recent participation in the UEFA qualifiers. What was that about? The reason behind it is coming up next.
Why did Qatar play the World Cup Qualifiers?
Being the host nation of a FIFA World Cup includes a long list of advantages. From playing the first game of the tournament where everyone around the globe is watching, to competing in front of your own fans. Although the most important one is without a doubt qualifying automatically. The organizing country doesn’t need any previous merit to be a part of it.
But that brought through the years one clear disadvantage compared to other participants. That’s nothing else than the lack of meaningful games before the event. It’s something that has affected teams in the past by not arriving in their best way possible. There lies the reason why Qatar played in some qualifiers lately.
Qatar exactly appeared within the frame of UEFA, exactly in group A. There were five squads in it, which meant that one side had a matchday off each week. Adding them to the mix worked for everybody, since both National Teams got to stay in rhythm. They had the chance to go up against Portugal, Serbia, the Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan. Those contests took place in neutral European stadiums to avoid travelling.
Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
