Qatar found an oasis — now Canada want the desert quiet
The outsiders already have their first World Cup point. The favourites just want a winner.
Boualem Khoukhi, deep into stoppage time, against Switzerland. One swing of his boot and Qatar had the first FIFA World Cup point in their history. The commentary tipped into delirium — 'madness in stoppage time', and then this: 'the men from the desert have found an oasis here on the American west coast.' Quite the way to introduce yourself.
This is not the Qatar of 2022. Back then they walked in as automatic hosts; this time they earned the ticket. That late strike against the Swiss was simply confirmation that they belong.
Canada are the bookmakers' clear favourites, and the reasons stack up neatly. Five matches unbeaten — one win, four draws — with Cyle Larin on the scoresheet in their most recent outing, a 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina. Their evenings have tended to be the freewheeling kind; Qatar's the tighter, lower-scoring sort. Head coach Jesse Marsch even leaned in for a word from Thierry Henry before a ball was kicked.
Qatar's romance is real. But Canada have the players to write a soberer ending.
Written and fact-checked by our AI preview desk from live match data. Refreshed as kickoff nears.
