The World Cup isn’t over for Qatar, but as far as their obligations on the field, they’ll definitely only get one more game.
The hosts are the first team to be mathematically eliminated at the World Cup, with no path that leads them out of Group A. Friday’s 1-1 draw between the Netherlands and Ecuador leaves them with an impossible task.
Earlier on Friday, Qatar fell 3-1 to Senegal, meaning that they started the World Cup off with two losses. There’s only one scenario where a team can do that and go through, but it’s no longer a possibility for Qatar, the host nation that everyone likes and no one has huge reservations about.
The Netherlands and Ecuador both have four points, while Senegal is on three. Qatar, coming off of two losses, can’t do better than three, meaning the best they can do is third place.
Ecuador, the Netherlands, and Senegal will all be facing off for two spots in the knockout rounds in the final set of games in Group A, but for the hosts, the results of the final set of games are academic.
Has any host ever done this badly?
No!
Qatar is just the second host nation to ever go out at the group stage, joining South Africa in 2010. Home field advantage is very real at the World Cup: most host nations (18 of 22, to be exact) have managed to go as far as the quarterfinal round, much less simply get out of their group.
However, there’s some crucial context to add here. South Africa beat France, finished with four points, and were only eliminated on goal difference. The Bafana Bafana left the tournament with their heads held high. Qatar, meanwhile, is at risk of going out without a single point. That makes the argument that Qatar is the worst World Cup host ever, a point people have been making regardless of the final scores in this tournament.
Qatar being eliminated early won’t undo the horrors of the kafala system used to build the stadiums and other infrastructure, or the hostility towards LGBTQ+ fans, but it does at least mean we can all enjoy a bit of schadenfreude.
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