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Qatar will be at its second straight World Cup this summer — the first one where the country earned its place through qualification.
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After hosting the tournament in 2022 and getting an automatic place in the competition, the Maroons went through the World Cup qualifying process this time around. After breezing through the second round in the Asian Football Confederation, they faced a battle in the third round.
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In Group A, two automatic World Cup spots were up for grabs, plus two places in the fourth round. Following a tough start, Qatar rallied and advanced to the round, missing out on automatic qualifying by six points to Uzbekistan.
In a three-team group and one World Cup qualifying place on the line, Qatar drew with Oman in its first match and needed to beat United Arab Emirates to book a place in North America this summer.
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Second-half goals from Pedro Miguel and Boualem Khoukhi were enough for a 2-1 win and a place in the 48-team field.
Led by former Spain, Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui, Qatar was drawn into Group B with co-hosts Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland. The Maroons will look to improve upon their debut showing in 2022 where they lost all three matches to Netherlands, Senegal and Ecuador, while scoring only one goal and allowing seven.
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