Compared to the rest of the World Cup participants, Qatar’s national team has a much shorter and less prolific history in terms of great players and footballing exploits. Football in the host country has been in existence for just over 50 years and has only reached the top level recently. In fact, this is its first participation in a World Cup, where it has arrived as the host country. However, Qatar has and has had players who deserve recognition in the run-up to the World Cup.
These are the most outstanding players in the history of Qatar’s national football team.
1. Mubarak Mustafa
The top scorer in the history of the national team and one of the undisputed symbols of Qatari national football. He excelled in the days before the Aspire Academy when everything was much more precarious and difficult in football in the tiny emirate. Born in 1973, he led a national team in the 1990s that caused several surprises at continental tournaments and at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. He wore the Qatar shirt for more than a decade and is remembered for his goal-scoring ability and fair play.
2. Hassan Al-Haydos
One of the key players in the World Cup squad. At just 31, he is already the player with the most international caps in the history of the national team. His teacher was another iconic player, Jafal Rashed Al-Kuwari, from whom he inherited his identification with the national team. He made his debut at the age of 18 and led the team’s development from the front line. At the World Cup, he will try to complete his legend.
3. Sebastian Soria
Throughout its history, Qatar’s national team has been nurtured by nationalized players, mainly from South America. The most prominent case is a native of Paysandu, Uruguay. He arrived in the Asian country in 2004 and has built a spectacular career there. He is on the podium of players with the most appearances and goals of all time in the Qatar national team shirt. He has competed several times for the Asian Player of the Year award.
4. Almoez Ali
Perhaps the player with the greatest international projection in history. And with a history that has yet to be written all the way down. He’s only 25, but he’s already the second-highest scorer in history. He could become the all-time World Cup goal scorer, which is as poetic as it is deserved for the only player to have scored in three different continental tournaments: the Copa America, the Asian Cup and the CONCACAF Golden Cup. He is the quality leap forward for this national team and the great individual hope to get out of the first round. If he succeeds, no one will be able to challenge his place as the best Qatari player in history.
5. Khalid Salman Al Muhannadi
He deserves recognition for being the hero of the Qatar national team’s most important triumph. In the quarterfinals of the 1981 U-20 World Cup, he scored a hat-trick in an unforgettable victory over Brazil. He also scored against France at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He was part of the first generation to put Qatar on the international football map.
Honorable mentions
6. Khalfan Ibrahim
Also called “Qatar’s Maradona”, he was the first Qatari player to win Asian Player of the Year in 2006.
7. Abdelkarim Hassan
Left back of Al Sadd and Qatar national team was named the best footballer in Asia in 2018
8. Mansour Muftah
A former Qatari footballer who played as a striker. He was the top scorer in the Qatar Stars League a record 4 times and was the top scorer for the Qatar national team so far with 42 goals.
