The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is just a few days away, and it’s already full of its firsts and historical features.
This year’s edition will be the first tournament hosted in the Middle East, the first in a Muslim-majority country, and the first to be held at the end of the calendar year, in November and December.
In this 2022 edition, six Muslim countries have qualified for the competition, holding high hopes of reaching as far as possible in the international tournament.
QATAR
Qatar, the host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, is a country located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar’s capital is Doha and Arabic is its official language.
The Qatar national team, The Maroon, played its first official match in 1970 against hosts Bahrain, losing 1–2. From then, the team has appeared in ten Asian Cup tournaments so far, and has won it once, in 2019..
In the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, Qatar won all of its group stage matches and faced UAE, winning 5–0. They lost 2–1 in the semi-final against Algeria, and eventually placed 3rd.
The 2022 World Cup will be the first appearance for the Maroon as far as the Mundial footballing event is concerned.
TUNISIA
The Tunisia national football team aka “Carthage Eagles” was formed in 1928 and it’s one of the Islamic World’s top teams. On the regional level, the team has won the African Nations cup once, in addition to achieving a golden medal at the Mediterranean Games.
As far as the World Cup is concerned, Tunisia have appeared in five occasions, the first being at the 1978 FIFA World Cup where they finished in ninth position. Between 1998 and 2006, they had a streak of three World Cup qualifications. They also qualified to Russia 2018 World Cup. Qatar 2022 World Cup is their sixth appearance at the finals.
SENEGAL
Senegal is a West African country that spans over an area of 197,000km2 where approximately 15 million people live. The Senegal national football team, nicknamed “Teranga Lions”, was created in 1959.
In the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal won the competition, defeating Egypt in a penalty shootout, and Mané scored the winning penalty, to earn Senegal its first Africa Cup of Nations,
With regard to the FIFA world cup, Senegal’s team is regarded as having the second best achievement for the Muslim World in the FIFA so far, after Turkey which came third in the 2002 Japan/South Korea World Cup.
SAUDI ARABIA
The West Asian Kingdom spans over about 2 million km2. The capital is Riyadh, and Islam is practiced by almost 99% of the population who speak Arabic as the main language. The country has a population of nearly 20 million people.
The Saudi Arabia national football team, “The Green”, was created in 1956. It holds three Asian cup titles, qualified six times to the FIFA World Cup, and won the gold medal at the 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games in Hijaz.
MOROCCO
Morocco, a North African country, is populated by about 34 million on an area of 710,850 km2. The capital city is Rabat, but the largest is Casablanca. The kingdom’s predominant religion is Islam by 99% of its population, and the official languages are Amazigh and Arabic.
The Morocco national football team aka “Atlas Lions” reached as high as the 10th position in the 1998 FIFA World Ranking. It was formed in 1928 and qualified six times for the FIFA World Cup. The team has won the African Nations Cup once, two Mediterranean Games golden medals; it also secured gold medal at the 2013 Islamic Solidarity Games in Indonesia.
IRAN
It is a West Asian country with Tehran as its capital. The republic comprises an area of 1,648,195 km2 with a population of over 82 million people. Islam is Iran’s main religion with over 98%.
The Federation of the Iranian national football team was founded in 1920. The “Persian Lions” is one of the most successful teams in the Islamic World, winning three Asian cups and a record of four gold medals at the Asian Games. For the Mundial, this year will be their sixth time for qualification.