The first official football match ever played in Qatar took place in 1948, contested by expatriate oil workers. Some 22 years later, the country played its first international match, shortly before taking part in the inaugural Arabian Gulf Cup. The Maroon only managed a single point, but they have since won the competition several times with their first title coming in 1992. In 2010, Qatar were named as hosts for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab nation to hold the illustrious tournament and qualifying for it for the first time in the process. The team have come a long way in the years since, lifting the Asian Cup for the first time in 2019 and reaching the semi-finals of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
