The historical achievements of Arab teams on Qatari football pitches, beginning with Morocco’s historic entry into the World Cup 2022 semifinals and continuing with unprecedented Arab dominance in the 2023 Asian Cup leading to Jordan’s historic qualification for the final match, raise questions about the role of hosting tournaments in Qatar in these Arab achievements.
It’s not surprising for the reigning Qatar national team to reach the semi-finals or even claim the title again, but the novelty in this edition lies in the Jordanian team, which surprised everyone by qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time in its history, and then into the final match, defeating strong opponents such as South Korea. The Jordanian team’s outstanding performance, led by players like Musa Al-Tamari from French club Montpellier, who is also the most expensive Arab player in the tournament with a market value of 6 million euros, scoring 12 goals and conceding only 5 in their six matches so far, has been impressive amid enthusiastic support from their fans.
The Arab dominance was not limited to Qatar and Jordan alone, as the Palestinian team secured its first-ever tournament victory and reached the round of 16 for the first time. Syria also repeated the Palestinian achievement by historically qualifying for the round of 16, while Iraq also excelled in the tournament, defeating Japan, the top contender for the title, and advancing from the group stage, only to face Jordan, which defeated them in extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The exceptional performances of Arab teams in these tournaments have prompted experts to discuss the influence of hosting the tournaments in Qatar on this Arab success. Former Egyptian national team star and “beIN Sports” analyst, Haitham Farouk, suggests that hosting any tournament in an Arab country serves as an incentive and support for the participating teams due to the large expatriate communities present in Arab countries. He highlighted the exceptional performances of Arab teams in this edition as a testament to the impact of hosting the tournament in an Arab country.
Overall, the shared sentiment among experts indicates that hosting these tournaments in Qatar has provided a conducive platform for Arab teams to thrive, offering significant fan support and exceptional facilities, paving the way for their remarkable success. The quality of the infrastructure and the enthusiastic presence of Arab fans have undoubtedly contributed to the outstanding performances of Arab teams in these tournaments.
