In 2022, Qatar became the worst-performing host nation in World Cup history, losing all three matches. But this is the first time the country has qualified on sporting merit and it is an opportunity to demonstrate any steps forward taken since that humbling experience on home soil.
One of the few teams likely to be unfazed by the potentially scorching North American summer, Qatar will likely escape the worst of it by playing in the cooler West Coast cities of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver—but advancing is still a major uphill battle.
