Group A of the Qatar 2022 World Cup: calendar, teams, matches and favorites

November 11, 2022

We review the most relevant aspects of the group that will open the event on November 20

The World Cup is just around the corner and it is time to analyze what options each team has to advance to the round of 16. Group A is represented by Qatar, Senegal, the Netherlands and Ecuador. Each country from a different continent and four very different ways of understanding football but all with something in common: they see themselves as having real options of going to the next phase .

The host team for the fact of being. The other three because they have the level to reach the qualifiers. In principle , none of the four teams is a favorite to win the ‘star’ of world champion in a month, however, several of them will have a competitive squad capable of doing against any selection.

Group A Schedule

Matchday 1

Qatar-Ecuador, November 20 at 5:00 p.m.
Senegal-Netherlands, November 21 at 5:00 p.m.

Matchday 2

Qatar-Senegal, November 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Netherlands-Ecuador, November 25 at 5:00 p.m.

Matchday 3

Netherlands-Qatar, November 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Ecuador-Senegal, November 29 at 4:00 p.m.

Selections and favorites

The tulip team is the top candidate to take first place in group A. Since Van Gaal returned to his bench, they have not lost a single game and they are already 15 consecutive without giving up. The Dutch return to the World Cup 8 years later after being absent in Russia . With Van Gaal, the team completed a great tournament in Brazil 2014 (up to the semi-finals) and is looking forward to the Qatar event.

It is a team that has recovered some of its lost prestige and has high-quality players. There follows Daley Blind, Memphis Depay or De Vrij, among others. It is a difficult team to win, more coral, compact, solid and does not have a great star . The weak point is perhaps the lack of a great forward as they have had in other times, but even so they should go through as first without much trouble.

Senegal and Ecuador, for second place

Ecuador and Senegal will play, in principle, the other ticket of the group destined for the round of 16. Senegal seems to have a better squad despite the loss of Sadio Mané, but be careful with Ecuador, which is a team that has made a great tie in South America, and these are very tough . Ecuador, along with Brazil and Argentina, are the ones that have had a more placid tie. It is a very young team and part of its players shone in that Under 20 World Cup in which they reached the semifinals.

Regarding Senegal, they are the champions of Africa and they beat Egypt in a final that was decided on penalties , just like in the World Cup qualifying phase. It will be a selection to take into account because it has great players and is once again one of the main African hopes to finally shine again in a World Cup.

Qatar, good football that has gone less

Qatar closes the group, which has displayed good football in recent times . He has hit a huge quality high. It has stopped working and is not at the same level as a year ago , so it does not have many options to overcome the group. Moreover, the Qatari team will probably be one of the worst hosts in the history of the World Cup .