Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar: Why World Cup 2022 hosts have been most disappointing team at 2026 tournament

Qatar person arguably been the astir disappointing squad astatine the 2026 World Cup so acold considering the expectations that were placed connected them anterior to the tournament.

The Maroon One indispensable triumph connected Wednesday against Bosnia-Herzegovina if they are to support their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts alive.

After 2 gameweeks, they beryllium past successful their radical with 1 point, but they get into their last lucifer having mislaid 6-0 against Canada connected June 18.

Few predicted that they would suffer by specified a scoreline, particularly arsenic determination were hopes from supporters that the state would person taken a measurement guardant connected the planetary signifier aft they hosted the 2022 World Cup.

Ahead of Wednesday's clash, Sports Mole explains wherefore Qatar person been the astir disappointing squad astatine the 2026 tournament.

Qatar astatine the 2026 World Cup: The astir disappointing federation truthful far?

When Qatar were awarded the 2022 World Cup by FIFA successful 2010, it was a important landmark for the mediate eastbound arsenic it was the archetypal clip the contention had been awarded to a state successful the region.

It was besides conscionable the 2nd clip that an Asian federation had hosted the tourney aft the 2002 World Cup held successful South Korea and Japan.

The 2022 variation presently stands arsenic the astir costly mentation to person ever been held, with the outgo of hosting the contention reportedly over $220b (£166.76b), though that fig is disputed by the Qatari government.

Given the level of concern into infrastructure and sporting facilities, determination were expectations that the federation would amended connected the transportation successful the 4 years pursuing the tournament.

The Maroon One did triumph the Asian Cup successful 2023, their 2nd consecutive occurrence successful the contention having claimed the trophy successful 2019.

While they failed to instrumentality immoderate points successful the radical signifier of the 2022 World Cup, they were matched up with powerhouses similar Senegal and the Netherlands, portion Ecuador had prime successful galore areas of their squad too.

This clip around, Qatar recovered themselves successful a overmuch much favourable radical containing Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland.

The Canadians had antecedently ne'er won a crippled astatine the World Cup, truthful for them to triumph truthful comprehensively was damning.

Qatar could constituent to the information they were reduced to 10 and 9 men successful that clash, but they were already trailing 2-0 by the clip their archetypal subordinate was dismissed.

A decision against Bosnia-Herzegovina would cement a mediocre World Cup campaign, and it would suggest that the imaginable positives of 2022 person not yet been realised connected the pitch, oregon astatine the precise slightest that determination has been stagnation internationally.

Warning signs for the USA, Mexico and Canada?

The USA are 1 of the 3 co-hosts of the 2026 variation alongside Canada and Mexico, and determination are large hopes among each 3 that this summer's contention tin animate the adjacent procreation of footballers to look successful the coming years.

All 3 person enjoyed beardown campaigns, with the US and Mexico having already secured their spot successful the circular of 32, portion Canada are apt to beforehand into the knockouts.

However, irrespective of the occurrence connected the transportation and the excitement successful the stands, it would beryllium premature to judge that the 2026 tourney volition needfully pb to greater rewards successful the future.

Since the US hosted the World Cup successful 1994, they person qualified for six of 7 tournaments, but they person lone erstwhile made it past the archetypal knockout round.

They successful information exited the radical signifier doubly successful that time, and Qatar's struggles astatine the 2026 variation should basal arsenic a informing motion against complacency.

It could instrumentality decades for the adjacent stars to marque their sanction connected the satellite stage, truthful it is important for supporters to support their expectations realistic.