Tuesday, January 21, 2025
19.0°F

AP source: Qatar in Euro World Cup qualifying for friendlies

Rob Harris | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 1 month AGO
by Rob Harris
| December 8, 2020 10:18 AM

Qatar will gain more match experience ahead of hosting the World Cup by effectively joining the qualifying group featuring European champion Portugal to play friendlies, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The arrangement provides Asian champion Qatar with 10 friendlies in Europe ahead of the 2022 World Cup, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.

Opponents in Group A, drawn Monday, include Serbia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Qatar is joining the only five-team qualifying group not featuring the UEFA Nations League finalists, while the other groups in Europe contain six sides.

Qatar is set to play all the matches in Europe. Because it receives an automatic berth as host, it sought matches to ensure it is competitive at its first World Cup.

The Qataris are also set to play in both regional tournaments covering the Americas next year.

They will first contest the Copa América from June 11-July 10 as part of a group with co-host Colombia as well as Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

Then a Qatari team will be in the United States for the July 10-Aug. 1 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Qatar won its first Asian Cup title in 2019 by beating Japan is the final and is No. 59 in the FIFA world rankings.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Qatar links into Euro World Cup qualifying for friendlies
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 1 month ago
National team soccer defies pandemic, fuels clubs tensions
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 2 months ago
Asian soccer sets schedule for delayed World Cup qualifiers
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 2 months ago

ARTICLES BY ROB HARRIS

June 17, 2021 12:03 a.m.

Mings hopes taking a knee informs critics like UK minister

BURTON-ON-TRENT, England (AP) — Taking a knee has now pitted a British government official against the England team in their campaign against racial injustice.

June 16, 2021 12:09 a.m.

Mings hopes taking a knee informs critics like UK minister

BURTON-ON-TRENT, England (AP) — Taking a knee has now pitted a British government official against the England team in their campaign against racial injustice.

June 15, 2021 10:27 a.m.

Mings hopes taking a knee informs critics like UK minister

BURTON-ON-TRENT, England (AP) — Taking a knee has now pitted a British government official against the England team in their campaign against racial injustice.