Country profile
Qatar
State of Qatar
Key facts
Capital
Doha
Population
2,700,000
Confederation
AFC
FIFA code
QAT
Overview
Qatar is a small, gas-rich peninsula jutting into the Arabian Gulf, a nation that transformed itself in a single generation from pearl-diving coastline to gleaming, air-conditioned metropolis. Doha's futuristic skyline symbolises a country of barely three million people — most of them expatriates — wielding outsized global influence.
Football sits at the heart of Qatar's modern identity. Vast investment, the world-renowned Aspire Academy and ownership of Paris Saint-Germain have placed the sport at the centre of national ambition and soft power.
Hosting the 2022 World Cup was the crowning statement of that project, and the legacy stadiums and infrastructure now anchor a country determined to remain a permanent fixture on the global sporting stage.
Football culture
Domestic football revolves around the Qatar Stars League, with powerhouses Al Sadd and Al Duhail supplying most national-team players. Passion runs deepest around the national side, especially after its Asian Cup triumphs galvanised local pride.
World Cup history
Qatar made its World Cup debut as hosts in 2022 but became the first host nation ever to lose all three group matches and exit at the bottom of the table. Qualification for 2026 would mark their first earned appearance on merit through the AFC pathway.
Location
Did you know
- Qatar was the first Middle Eastern and Arab nation to host a World Cup.
- The 2022 final group exit made them the worst-performing host in history.
- Aspire Academy is one of the largest sporting academies on the planet.
- Qatar are back-to-back AFC Asian Cup champions (2019, 2023).
- Akram Afif scored a stunning hat-trick of penalties in the 2023 Asian Cup final.
From Wikipedia
State of Qatar fields one of the 48 national teams contesting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia →