Qatar:
Qatar belongs to group A along with Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands.
Qatar will host the tournament and therefore qualify automatically for, which will be their first appearance in this tournament.
The small Gulf nation of less than three million people has invested heavily in its national team programme over the past decade, ever since it won the right to host the tournament in December 2010. Since then, the investment in players, coaches and infrastructure has paid off, with the national team ranked 50th in the FIFA world rankings, up from 112th. It also led to the first triumph at the 2019 Asian Cup.
Since 2017, Qatar have been led by former Barcelona youth coach Felix Sanchez, who has developed an attacking, spectacular style of play that is sure to win over fans no matter how far they progress in their first World Cup appearance.
Confederation: AFC
Sub-confederation: WAFF (West Asia)
Nick Name : The Maroon
Current FIFA ranking: 50 (October, 6)
Highest Ranking: 42 (August 2021)
Lowest Ranking: 113 (November 2010)
Regional Ranking: 6th (AFC)
Biggest win: 15-0 vs Bhutan (3 September 2015)
Biggest Defeat: 9-0 vs Kuwait (8 January 1973)
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 1 (first appearance in 2022 as a Host)
Qualified : Tournament host
Head Coach: Felix Sanchez (Span)
Captain: Hassan Al-Haydos
Top Scorer: Mansoor Muftah
Key players: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd/FW), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail/FW), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd/ FW), Saad Al Sheeb (Al-Sadd/GK), Abdelkarim Hassan (Al-Sadd/DF)
Qatar World Cup 2022 the most recent squad list :
GK: Saad Al Sheeb (Al-Sadd)
GK: Yousef Hassan (Al-Gharafa)
GK: Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd)
DF: Ro-Ro (Al-Sadd)
DF: Abdulkarim Hassan (Al-Sadd)
DF: Tarek Salman (Al-Sadd)
DF: Musab Kheder (Al-Sadd)
DF: Homam Ahmad (Al-Gharafa)
DF: Bassam Al-Rawi (Al-Duhail)
DF: Boualem Khoukhi (Al-Sadd)
MF: Asim Madibo (Al-Duhail)
MF: Abdullah Al-Ahrak (Al-Duhail)
MF: Abdalaziz Hatem (Al-Rayyan)
MF: Muhammed Waad (Al-Sadd)
MF: Ali Assadulla (Al-Sadd)
MF: Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail)
FW: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd)
FW: Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al-Gharafa)
FW: Mohammed Muntari (Al-Duhail)
FW: Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd)
FW: Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail)
FW: Ismaeel Muhammad (Al-Duhail)
FW: Khalid Moneer (Al-Wakrah)
All teams have two key date deadlines to announce their official squad lists: 21 Oct and 14 Nov. On 15th November final lists for all participating teams will be published by FIFA.
Fixtures and match schedule :
Sun, Nov. 20 Qatar vs. Ecuador
Fri, Nov. 25 Qatar vs. Senegal
Tues, Nov. 29 Netherlands vs. Qatar
Netherlands:
Louis van Gaal, in his third season in charge of the Netherlands, hopes to use all his experience to guide the Dutch to the final stage of the World Cup and reach the final part of the tournament for the first time in eight years.
Having finished third in 2014, they did not qualify for Russia last time out, but their fortunes have improved since then, led by a new generation of talent that includes players such as Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Bayern’s Matthias de Ligt.
Led at the back by Liverpool’s powerful Virgil van Dijk, who will try to secure the title of world’s best defender, the Dutch won the qualifying group, which also included Turkey and Norway.
Confederation: UEFA
Nick Name : Oranje
Current FIFA Ranking: 8 (October, 6)
Highest Ranking: 1 (August 2011)
Lowest Ranking: 36 ((August 2017)
Regional Ranking: 9th (UEFA)
Biggest Win: 11-0 vs San Marino (2 September 2011)
Biggest Defeat: 12-2 vs England (21 December 1907)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 11 (Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
Qualified: UEFA Group G winners
Head Coach: Louis Van Gaal (Dutch)
Captain: Virgil van Dijk
Top scorer: Robin van Persie
Key Players: Memphis Depay (Barcelona/FW), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/DF), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona/MF), Denzel Dumfries(Inter Milan/DF), Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich/MF)
Netherlands World Cup 2022 the most recent squad list :
GK: Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich
GK: Kevin Trapp, Eintracht Frankfurt
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona
DF: Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund
DF: Matthias Ginter, Freiburg
DF: Robin Gosens, Inter Milan
DF: Armel Bella-Kotchap, Southampton
DF: Thilo Kehrer, West Ham
DF: Niklas Sule, Borussia Dortmund
DF: Benjamin Henrichs, RB Leipzig
DF: David Raum, RB Leipzig
DF: Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid
MF: Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich
MF: Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City
MF: Kai Havertz, Chelsea
MF: Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich
MF: Jonas Hofmann, Borussia Monchengladbach
MF: Julian Brandt, Borussia Dortmund
MF: Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich
FW: Leroy Sane, Bayern Munich
FW: Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich
FW: Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich
FW: Lukas Nmecha, Wolfsburg
FW: Timo Werner, RB Leipzig
Fixtures and match schedule :
Mon, Nov. 21 Senegal vs. Netherlands
Fri, Nov. 25 Netherlands vs. Ecuador
Tues, Nov. 29 Netherlands vs. Qatar
Senegal:
Senegal secured their place in Qatar 2022 in a penalty shootout, but will be looking to continue the excellent form that has already seen the country crowned Queen of Africa.
After defeating Egypt to win the inaugural AFCON title in February, Aliou Cisse’s side repeated the feat in the last round of African World Cup qualifying, securing their place in Qatar – although that match was controversial as fans in the stadium aimed laser pointers at Egypt’s players during the penalty shootout to enrage them.
That match was another battle between two former Liverpool teammates, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, and there is no doubt that the Senegalese rely on the latter, now playing at Bayern Munich, as their main attacking threat. But they do have other world-class players, including Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Interestingly, Senegal has the highest winning percentage at World Cups among all African countries.
Senegal crashed out of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with zero wins and zero points.
The West African country narrowly missed out on the 2014 FIFA World Cup after losing the return match against Côte d’Ivoire in the final round of qualification. Senegal has since qualified for two African Cup of Nations tournaments, dropping out in the group stage in 2015 and reaching the quarterfinals in 2017. On November 10, 2017, by defeating South Africa 2-0,[6] Senegal qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the second in its history after the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.Senegal defeated Poland 2-1 in its first group match, thanks to an own goal from Thiago Sionek and a strike from M’Baye Niang. In the next group stage match, Senegal played to a 2-2 draw with Japan, with goals from Sadio Mane and Moussa Vague. [11] However, despite their large lead, a 1-0 loss to Colombia in their final match meant that they were tied on points with Japan, who went on thanks to a higher fair play score, although they also lost their final match.
Senegal achieved a very successful 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign under the same leadership of Aliou Cisse, who had previously competed in the 2002 final. Under Cissé’s leadership, Senegal reached its first final in seventeen years, beating almost every opponent in the process,[15] but after already losing 1-0 to Algeria early in the tournament, Senegal lost to them again 1-0 in the final, thus losing the title for the second time.
Confederation: CAF (Africa)
Nick Name : Lions of Teranga
Current FIFA Ranking: 18 (October, 6)
Highest Ranking: 18 (February 2022-present)
Lowest Ranking: 99 (June 2013)
Regional Ranking: 1st (CAF)
Biggest Win: 10-0 vs Mauritania (28 September 1972)
Biggest Defeat: 5-0 vs Guinea (6 March 1966)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances : 3 (Quarter-finals (2002)
Qualified : Africa 3rd Round winners
Head Coach: Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Captain: Kalidou Koulibaly
Top scorer: Sadio Mané
(Bayern Munich/FW), Idrissa Gueye (Everton/MF), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City/MF)
Senegal World Cup 2022 the most recent squad list :
GK: Alfred Gomis (Rennes)
GK: Seny Dieng (QPR)
GK: Mory Diaw (Clermont)
GK: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
DF: Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea)
DF: Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan)
DF: Noah Fadiga (Brest)
DF: Ismail Jakobs (Monaco)
DF: Formose Mendy (Amiens)
DF: Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos)
DF: Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest)
DF: Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig)
MF: Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham)
MF: Idrissa Gueye (Everton)
MF: Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano)
MF: Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest)
MF: Pape Gueye (Marseille)
MF: Krepin Diatta (Monaco)
MF: Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City)
MF: Mamadou Loum (Reading)
MF: Moustapha Name (Pafos)
FW: Bamba Dieng (Marseille)
FW: Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
FW: Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)
FW: Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)
FW: Demba Seck (Torino)
FW: Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
FW: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana)
Fixtures and match schedule :
Mon, Nov. 21 Senegal vs. Netherlands
Fri, Nov. 25 Qatar vs. Senegal
Tues, Nov. 29 Ecuador vs. Senegal
Ecuador:
Ecuador reached the quarter-finals of the last major tournament, the Copa America, and were crushed 3-0 by eventual winners Argentina, and Gustavo Alfaro’s team will need to show more resilience to avoid an early exit from the World Cup.
Veteran striker Enner Valencia, his country’s top scorer, will play a key role in Ecuador’s return to the world’s biggest stage after missing out on the 2018 tournament.
Brighton defender Pervis Estupinan is another talented player, but in general the team is not the strongest and can compete with more eminent rivals in the group.
Confederation: CONMEBOL (South America)
Nick Name : La Tricolor (The Tricolors)
Current FIFA Ranking: 44 (October, 6)
Highest Ranking: 10 (June 2013)
Lowest Ranking: 71 (November 2017)
Regional Ranking: 7th (CONMEBOL)
Biggest Win: 6-0 vs Peru (22 June 1975)
Biggest Defeat: 12-0 vs Argentina (22 January 1942)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 4 (Round of 16 (2006)
Qualified: CONMEBOL fourth place
Head Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentine)
Captain: Enner Valencia
Top Scorer: Enner Valencia
Key Players: Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce/FW), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton/DF), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg/MF)
Senegal World Cup 2022 the most recent squad list :
GK: Hernan Galindez (Aucas)
GK: Moises Ramirez (Independiente del Valle)
GK: Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito)
GK: Gonzalo Valle (Guayaquil City)
DF: Pervis Estupinan (Brighton).
DF: Diego Palacios (Los Angeles)
DF: Byron Castillo (Leon)
DF: Fernando Leon (Atletico San Luis)
DF: Jackson Porozo (Troyes)
DF: William Pacho (Antwerp)
DF: Angelo Preciado (Genk)
DF: Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen)
DF: Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders)
MF: Jose Cifuentes (Los Angeles)
MF: Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton)
MF: Nilson Angulo (Anderlecht)
MF: Patrickson Delgado (Jong Ajax)
MF: Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg)
MF: Angel Mena (Leon)
MF: Jhegson Mendez (Los Angeles FC)
MF: Gonzalo Plata (Real Valladolid)
MF: Romario Ibarra (Pachuca)
MF: Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
MF: Alan Franco (Talleres)
MF: Anthony Valencia (Antwerp)
FW: Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul)
FW: Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell’s Old Boys)
FW: Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce)
Fixtures and match schedule :
Sun, Nov. 20 Qatar vs. Ecuador
Fri, Nov. 25 Netherlands vs. Ecuador
Tues, Nov. 29 Ecuador vs. Senegal
