Canada World Cup Opponent: Analyzing Qatar’s World Cup Roster

Canada has the second-shortest soccer odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook to win Group B, and two-time reigning Asian champions Qatar are the least likely. 

While Qatar is seen as a relative minnow in the group, it is ranked 57th, seven places higher than 64th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina. Favourite Switzerland is ranked 19th. 

So, how does Qatar’s roster compare to the others, and is there an advantage the team can leverage?

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World Cup 2026: Analyzing Qatar’s Soccer Team Roster 

Don’t let the somewhat arbitrary rankings mislead you. Bosnia and Herzegovina is markedly better than Qatar, which confutes their FIFA coefficients. 

That’s not to say Qatar isn’t a decent squad. You have to be back-to-back champions of Asia. 

However, when analyzing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s roster, there are some obvious distinctions, reinforcing the notion that the European side is superior on paper and in practice. 

All but one of Qatar’s 26 players ply their trade in the Qatar Stars League (QSL). Left-back Homam Ahmed, the lone exception, represents Cultural Leonesa in Spain’s La Liga 2. 

While the QSL is a decent league, only a small percentage of its players are top-tier imports. 

Some recognizable names include: Roberto Firmino, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Tiago Silva. 

The on-field product is inferior to every top-tier European league. Even MLS’ overall level is superior to the QSL. 

Can Qatar Leverage One Key Advantage? 

Saudi Arabia is the only other team at the World Cup whose roster includes 25 of its 26 players from the country’s domestic league. 

That can provide one discernible advantage: cohesion. 

Qatar has six players from Al-Duhail, five from Al-Sadd, four from Al Arabi, and three each from Al Rayyan, Al Gharafa, and Al-Wakrah. 

With so much familiarity, teammates at the club level will be on the same wavelength and should enjoy heightened chemistry. That familiarity also extends, albeit to a lesser extent, to playing in the same league. 

While having a cohesive collective can be an integral part of a successful team, Qatar lacks the quality to compete with Switzerland’s World Cup roster, which is stacked with players from all of Europe’s top leagues. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada are also better than Qatar on paper, and both should prevail against the Asian champions. However, don’t expect a blowout in either match.

Qatar Soccer Ranking

Qatar is ranked 57th entering the World Cup, which starts on June 11. Qatar and Canada clash in Vancouver on June 18. 

Canada Soccer Ranking

Canada is ranked 30th in the world by FIFA. 

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