Qatar vs Switzerland 
The pick
Win, draw, and loss probabilities and expected goals are from our team-strength model. The composite averages every source we track for this match — see composite ratings for the full method. Public consensus from 1 source: Forebet (model).
Head to head
Expected shapes: Qatar 4-2-3-1, Switzerland 3-4-2-1.
Ruled out: SUI — 9 Johan Manzambi, 20 Michel Aebischer, 25 Luca Jaquez
Qatar QatarLimited rating data for this squad.
SwitzerlandKey players to watch
Switzerland Switzerland SwitzerlandProjected XIs
Most-likely starting elevens based on recent selections.
Qatar- 22Meshaal Barsham
- 2Ayoub Al Ouwi
- 3Hashmi Al Hussain
- 3Lucas Mendes
- 18Sultan Al Brake
- 6Ahmed Fathy
- 7Mohammed Waad
- 11Akram Afif
- 9Mohammad Al Mannai
- 10Homam El Amin
- 7Ahmed Alaa
Switzerland- 1L Mvogo
- 2D Zakaria
- 3M Akanji
- 4N Elvedi
- 5M Aebischer
- 6R Freuler
- 7A Jasari
- 8F Rieder
- 9D Ndoye
- 10B Embolo
- 11R Vargas
Storylines
Qatar seek World Cup redemption but have they learned the lessons of 2022?
Four years after becoming the first host nation to lose all three group games, Qatar return under Julen Lopetegui seeking redemption, opening against a Switzerland side ranked far above them. The piece questions whether Qatar have addressed their 2022 shortcomings.
Qatar chases redemption at the World Cup
Qatar's March preparation was wiped out by regional conflict, with planned friendlies against Serbia and Argentina cancelled, leaving them among the least-prepared teams entering the finals ahead of the Switzerland opener.
Player ratings are EA Sports FC 26 attributes, used here as a consistent, public proxy for player quality. Squad-level comparisons cover the players we could rate; coverage varies by team.