Qatar didn't get a free pass this time. After hosting the 2022 World Cup and walking into the tournament automatically, the Maroons had to fight their way through AFC qualification like everyone else — and it went down to the wire.
They breezed through the second round, then hit resistance in the third. In Group A, two automatic spots were available alongside two playoff places. Qatar had a slow start and ultimately finished six points behind Uzbekistan, missing automatic qualification entirely.
A must-win final match sealed it
That meant a three-team fourth-round playoff group with one World Cup berth on the line. Qatar drew with Oman in their opener, which left zero margin for error against the UAE. A loss or a draw and they were going home.
Pedro Miguel and Boualem Khoukhi scored second-half goals. Qatar won 2-1. Job done — but only just.
It's a different energy from 2022, when Qatar entered as hosts having never played a World Cup match before, then lost all three group games, conceded seven goals, and scored once. That debut was forgettable by any measure. Julen Lopetegui — the former Spain and Real Madrid manager now in charge of the national side — will be expected to get significantly more out of this squad.
Group B sets up a serious test
The draw hasn't been kind. Qatar land in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Switzerland. None of those are walkovers. Canada have genuine Premier League and top European talent. Switzerland are perpetually underrated. Bosnia are unpredictable but capable of beating anyone on a good day.
If Qatar's qualification odds were already modest, their group stage exit price will likely be short. The 2022 numbers — three losses, seven goals conceded — are the baseline punters will reference, and Lopetegui needs to shift that narrative fast.
At the very least, they qualified properly this time. Whether that means they can actually compete in North America is a different question entirely.
