Hosts Qatar will kick off the 2022 World Cup ranked 50th in the world, the third lowest in the competition. Of those that qualified, only Saudi Arabia and Ghana are deemed weaker in Fifa’s rankings. Ecuador, Qatar’s opponents on Sunday, sit just above them in 44th spot.
Yet this still marks a steep rise since Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010. Back then its team was ranked 113th, below Syria and Haiti among other nations.
“They’ll be tough to beat. They’ll be well organised and they will score goals,” said Ross Griffin, an expert in sport and culture at Qatar University.
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