ESPN is previewing each of the World Cup's 32 teams ahead of the tournament. Here's what you need to know about the four sides set to do battle in Group A.
Jump to: Qatar | Netherlands | Senegal | Ecuador
Also read: Group B | C | D | E | F | G | H
Qatar
Manager: Felix Sanchez
Nickname: The Annabi (Maroon)
FIFA Rank: 50
How they qualified
Qatar will become the first country to make its debut at the World Cup by virtue of being hosts, so they had no need to go through qualifying. The Qatar Football Association (QFA) was formed in 1960 and the national team played its first official match in 1970 against neighbors Bahrain, losing 2-1. Qatar's best chances of qualifying for the World Cup came in 1990 and 1998, while in 1990 they finished third in the final round of qualifiers behind the UAE and South Korea. Eight years later, they dropped out of the reckoning after losing the final qualifier.
The Annabi made their biggest impression on international football by winning the 2019 Asian Cup. After brushing aside regional rivals Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the semifinals, Qatar romped to a 3-1 win over Japan to lift the trophy for the first time. The team reached their best FIFA ranking of 48 last year after finishing third in the Arab Cup 2021 and, after being invited as guests, making the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Style of play
With a 3-5-2 formation that interchanges with 5-3-2, Qatar rely on an organised defence and midfield, while they mix a part-defensive/part-counterattacking style of play. They rely on the experience of captain Hassan Al Haydos, forward Almoez Ali and winger Akram Afif to make the most of whatever scoring opportunities come their way.
Biggest strength
At this World Cup, Qatar's biggest strength will be playing at home and having the crowd behind them. Recent World Cups have shown that being a host can play a part in helping teams reach the knockout stages. All of the players in Qatar's preliminary squad play for local clubs. Eleven of these, including captain Haydos, play for reigning league champions Al Sadd, so they know each other well. Sanchez, Qatar's coach, has been in the country since 2006, including at the famous Aspire Academy, and became the national team coach in 2017. All of these factors make the Annabi a very tight-knit group of players.
Biggest weakness
While having players who ply their trade in the Qatari league helps, it also means that the squad lack quality international experience. The QFA and FIFA have ensured the host nation get plenty of international exposure in the run-up to the World Cup by organising friendly matches and including Qatar in the last Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, a mixed bag of results showed their defensive frailties and inability to cope with pressure from high-quality opposition.
Star player: Almoez Ali
The 26-year-old forward has been Qatar's leading goal scorer in major tournaments (including the Asian Cup win in 2019 where he was the tournament's leading scorer) since making his debut in 2016, and sits third on the all-time scoring list. If Qatar are to progress to the next round, much will depend on how well Ali does at the front of the attack.
Projected starting XI
(3-5-2) Al Sheeb; Al Rawi, Khoukhi, Hassan; Miguel, Hatem, Boudiaf, Al Haydos, ElAmin; Afif, Ali.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: N/A
- The hosts are looking to become the first country to win their World Cup debut since Senegal in 2002 (vs. France.)
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 26% chance to make the round of 16, 9% to make quarterfinals
Betting odds: +25000 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
Qatar open the tournament against Ecuador in front of 60,000 fans at the Al Bayt Stadium on Nov. 20 and, buoyed by the occasion and energy, a win for the hosts would not be a shock result. If Qatar are able to take a point against Senegal and the Netherlands, the home side might end up progressing to the knockouts but it's unlikely they'll get much further than that. -- Hafsa Adil.
Netherlands
Manager: Louis van Gaal
Nickname: Oranje
FIFA Rank: 8
How they qualified
Netherlands took on Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia and Gibraltar in World Cup qualifying Group G under coach Frank de Boer, but started their campaign with a painful 4-2 loss against Turkey thanks to a hat trick from Burak Yilmaz. It was a bad start, but the team recovered quickly with wins over Latvia (2-0) and Gibraltar (7-0) to get things back on track before the delayed Euro 2020 tournament arrived.
However, a disappointing exit at the round-of-16 stage to the Czech Republic saw De Boer depart. Louis van Gaal took charge in August and Netherlands went on a seven-match unbeaten run (W5 D2 L0) to end the qualifying stage as group winners by two points over Turkey.
Style of play
Van Gaal has implemented a 3-4-3 system with focus on safety in defence and plays with three centre-backs and two wing-backs who support the midfield and attack. In fact, the formation is a renewal of the style of play at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when squad made it to the semifinals.
Biggest strength
The biggest strength of this squad is the solid defence -- they conceded eight goals in 10 games in World Cup qualifying, plus just six goals in six games to win Nations League Group A4 -- as well as the fact they are a close-knit group. The players will work hard for each other and it's hard to win against this Dutch team. In the third spell under Van Gaal, the team are still unbeaten after 11 wins and four draws.
The quality at the back is easy to see, with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk leading the way and Man City's Nathan Ake and Ajax's Jurrien Timber set to line up alongside him in a back three. Van Gaal is also able to call upon more centre-back depth in the shape of Bayern's Matthijs de Ligt and Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij.
Biggest weakness
The width of the team isn't great, relying on their wing-backs to get forward down the flanks, and Netherlands will have issues if any of their starting XI are injured as the quality of the team will decrease radically if they lose Memphis, Frenkie de Jong or Cody Gakpo. They also don't have a clear first-choice goalkeeper. Van Gaal has four options: Jasper Cillessen, Mark Flekken, Remko Pasveer and Justin Bijlow. But none of them have been the No. 1 pick for an extended period over recent games.
Star player: Frenkie de Jong
De Jong, 25, is the undisputed star of this team. The Dutch also have world-class players like Van Dijk and Memphis in the squad, but De Jong dictates the pace and control in midfield. He has had a tough time at Barcelona of late but is indispensable for Netherlands. When he is in the side, the team dare to play out from the back, making use of his control and poise on the ball. He looks to play between the lines and create opportunities as well as setting the tempo for the whole game. Manchester United will be watching his performances in Qatar closely.
Projected starting XI
(3-4-3) Cillessen; Ake, Van Dijk, Timber; Blind, De Jong, Koopmeiners, Dumfries; Gakpo, Memphis, Bergwijn.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: 3-time runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010), they have the most final apps without winning the title.
- Netherlands enter November unbeaten since Van Gaal returned as coach in August 2021 (11 wins and four draws.)
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 77% chance to make the round of 16, 10% to make final
Betting odds: +1200 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
Van Gaal is a master in preparing his players for a tournament like this. Netherlands are favourites in Group A and should get through to the knockout stage, but then they'll face opponents from Group B (England, Wales, U.S. or Iran) in the round of 16. In their current form, the team should be able to make it to the semifinals, but all the pieces must come together for that to happen. -- Bob Ligthart and Marciano Vink, ESPN NL
Senegal
Manager: Aliou Cisse
Nickname: Lions of Teranga
FIFA Rank: 18
How they qualified
Senegal dropped points away at Togo only when progression from their opening group had already been secured, setting up a two-legged playoff against Egypt. The pair renewed hostilities less than seven weeks after Senegal had defeated the Pharaohs to secure their maiden continental crown. Not only was it an AFCON final rematch, but also another showdown between then-Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. As they had done in the AFCON final, Senegal won on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw, with Mane converting the decisive spot kick after Salah -- dealing with lasers being shone in his face by the Dakar crowd -- had missed Egypt's opening penalty.
Style of play
Expect a rugged 4-3-3 formation with a muscular, conservative midfield supporting a front three that should offer pace and, in Mane, world-class quality. The Bayern Munich man is, predictably, central to Senegal's play, whether he's cutting in from the left flank or operating through the middle just off a centre-forward. Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly forge a world-class defensive spine although both are, for different reasons, enduring tricky seasons at Chelsea.
Biggest strength
Beyond Mane, fresh off the back of finishing second in the ranking for the Ballon d'Or, Senegal boast a fearsome defence that was critical to their AFCON success earlier this year. With the cultured Abdou Diallo in alongside Koulibaly, coach Aliou Cisse finally settled on a complimentary defensive partnership, and Senegal conceded just twice during their run to the title. The midfield will provide a sound screen for the backline, and even though AFCON-winning full-backs Saliou Cisse and Bouna Sarr are club-less and injured respectively, their replacements are arguably upgrades.
Biggest weakness
Nampalys Mendy, Idrissa Gueye and Cheikhou Kouyate have never been adventurous or expansive players. Pitting them together in midfield certainly made Senegal tricky to play against, but it also left almost all of the creative burden on Mane, with the Lions of Teranga struggling to break teams down or find openings at times. Gueye and Kouyate are 33 and 32 respectively, while Mendy has again fallen out of favour at Leicester and is yet to start a league game. How will this trio cope in the heat of Qatar, and can AFCON Young Player of the Year Pape Matar Sarr really be trusted to replace any of them having failed to get any minutes at Tottenham?
Star player: Sadio Mane
Mane's form might have been patchy earlier in the season -- he went six games without a goal or an assist -- but Senegal's greatest player has responded in style, notably starring as Bayern Munich bundled Barcelona out of the Champions League. He has been thriving in the Bavarians' vibrant, technically adroit forward line, and is enjoying this latest chapter of his career but suffered a possible knee injury with 13 days left. For Senegal, as for Liverpool, Mane has proved himself to be a big-game player, with decisive contributions throughout the AFCON knockouts and the playoff triumph over Egypt. Now he has to get fit and do it on the grandest stage of all.
Projected starting XI
(4-3-3): E Mendy; Ballo-Toure, Koulibaly, Diallo, Sabaly; Kouyate, N Mendy, Gueye; Mane, Dia, Sarr
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Quarterfinals (2002.)
- Senegal are coming off their first African Cup of Nations title in 2021 where they won four and drew three of their games, conceding only two goals and scoring nine.
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 41% chance to make the round of 16, 16% to make quarterfinals
Betting odds: +8000 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
A favourable group and the momentum from a maiden AFCON triumph have fuelled the belief in Senegal that this team are destined to emulate the achievements of the 2002 generation, honouring 20 years since that great side reached the quarterfinals. They can certainly reach the knockouts, although failure to beat Netherlands in their opener might then set up an ominous round-of-16 bout with England. -- Ed Dove, ESPN Africa.
Ecuador
Manager: Gustavo Alfaro
Nickname: La Tri (The Tri)
FIFA Rank: 44
How they qualified
As a surprise. Ecuador made their World Cup debut in 2002 and took part in three of the next four tournaments, but after a good start on the road to Russia 2018 they collapsed, with problems on the field and off. There was turmoil in the local FA and a procession of coaches until, a month before the start of the qualifiers, they appointed Gustavo Alfaro -- a relatively low-profile Argentine with no previous connection to Ecuador. It proved an inspired choice. At the time no one saw Ecuador as contenders, but Alfaro has proved an excellent fit, adapting well to the counterattacking characteristics of his players and showing admirable trust in the country's youth development. Ecuador finished fourth -- the last automatic qualifying slot -- but their place in Qatar was never in real doubt.
Style of play
The recent successes of Ecuadorian football have been based on fast counterattacks down the flanks. That is the style of Alfaro's team, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they defend deep. There is enough pace in the team for Ecuador to defend high and seek to win possession close to the opposing goal.
Biggest strength
After three recent meetings (two draws and one defeat), Brazil coach Tite claimed that Ecuador could be one of the surprise teams of the tournament. They are tough to play against, with strength, quickness, a clear idea of how they need to play and a fine crop of youngsters. Ecuador were South American U20 champions in 2019, and came third in that year's World Cup at the same level. Several graduates from that side have come through and so have others even younger, such as Moises Caicedo. Extraordinarily, Ecuadorian clubs have provided South America's biggest challenge to the dominant Brazilians in the last few years.
Biggest weakness
The goals have dried up of late. Ecuador have played five friendlies since qualification. The good news is that they did not concede a single goal; the bad news is that they scored only two. There is a lack of real quality up front and the main strikers, Michael Estrada and Enner Valencia, have been struggling for form. So where will the goals come from? And how will a young side react to the pressures of appearing in the global spotlight? There are just three survivors from the side who played at Brazil 2014, and there is no knowing how Alfaro's team will cope, especially in that key opening game against Qatar when the whole planet will be watching.
Star player: Moises Caicedo
A symbol of the side, in a number of ways. First, the 20-year-old Brighton midfielder is a product of the Independiente del Valle club, whose youth work has become a global reference. Around half the national team squad have some previous contact with the club. Second, he illustrates the faith that Alfaro has shown in youth. Caicedo was thrown into the start of the qualifiers while he was still a teenager, and immediately showed that he was up to the task. And third, his physicality gives the side an extra dimension and he knits the team together, helping win the ball, driving the team forward with clever passes and looking to run beyond the strikers and shoot at goal.
Projected starting XI
(4-3-3): Dominguez; Preciado, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan; Franco, Gruezo, Caicedo; Mena, Estrada, Valencia.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Round of 16 (2006.)
- Ecuador enter November winless in their last four competitive games and a W2, D6, L1 record in 2022
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 56% chance to make the round of 16, 26% to make quarterfinals.
Betting odds: +15000
Prediction
The expectation is that Ecuador can at least match their best World Cup, Germany 2006, when they got out of their group before losing narrowly to England. They are certainly capable of it, and perhaps even a little more. But the group is tough. They need to get ahead of either Holland or Senegal to reach the knockout stage. The debut game against Qatar is vital. -- Tim Vickery.
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