As the first Asian host since 2002, Qatar will look to put a strong showing in their World Cup debut. Led by 25-year-old Akram Afif and team captain Hassan Al-Haydos, the team managed by Spain national Felix Sanchez will make their presence felt and put a strong showing as one of the only six Asian teams in the competition. However, despite being the tournament hosts, they will have their hands full as they need to give all they have to make it past the group stage.
Being drawn to a group that features three teams in the top 20 and a strong South American squad, Qatar’s chances are looking bleak as of writing. Despite being the lowest ranked team in their region, Ecuador managed to perform well during the CONMEBOL qualifiers. They out-qualified Peru, Colombia, and Chile, which are in the top 30 of the world rankings.
Meanwhile, Senegal just got a sensational run during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, beating Mo Salah-led Egypt in the finals to win the trophy. A month after, they defeated Egypt again during the CAF qualifiers, securing a seat in the World Cup. A team with some household names like Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly will look to dominate and push for their best World Cup finish in decades.
But speaking of household names, the Dutch team is the favourite to win this group for a reason. The 8th-ranked team is composed of some of the best players in the world, such as Virgil Van Dijk, Memphis Depay, and Frenkie De Jong. The team has been runners-up in the tournament three times and will now try to finally win the gold with their firepower and robust defensive line.