The manager Felix Sanchez said prematch the team would have “preferred to be in a better situation” but also praised what the players have achieved in the years running up to the tournament. He did admit, though, the team is “lagging behind” and that is a fair assessment.
Qatar did trouble their opponents on occasion. They found joy behind the Netherlands’ advanced fullbacks, but time and time again, their final ball was wayward, and Virgil van Dijk was able to mop it up without any real pressure.
The team’s legacy in this tournament will only be quantifiable in years to come — with the highlight of their three matches likely their sole goal, Mohammed Muntari‘s effort in their 3-1 defeat to Senegal. With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams in the next edition, teams of the standard of Qatar will stand a better chance of progressing past the group stage. But for all the expectation around this group, and those daring to dream of a miraculous run, Qatar’s team fell short at their own tournament.
Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)
Netherlands: Andries Noppert 6, Denzel Dumfries 6, Nathan Ake 6, Virgil van Dijk 7, Jurrien Timber 7, Daley Blind 6, Marten de Roon 6, Frenkie de Jong 8, Davy Klaassen 7, Cody Gakpo 7, Memphis Depay 6.
Subs: Steven Berghuis 6, Vincent Janssen 6, Wout Weghorst 6, Teun Koopmeiners 6, Kenneth Taylor 6.
Qatar: Meshaal Barsham 6, Boualem Khoukhi 6, Pedro Miguel 5, Homam Ahmed 5, Ismail Mohamad 6, Abdelkarim Hassan 6, Abdulaziz Hatem 6, Hassan Al-Haydos 5, Assim Madibo 6, Almoez Ali 5, Azram Afif 7.
Subs: Karim Boudiaf 5, Mohammed Muntari 6, Ali Asad 6, Musaab Khadir 6, Ahmed Al-Aaeldin 6.
Best and worst performers
BEST: Frenkie de Jong
The Barcelona playmaker was the best player on the pitch. He was the heartbeat of this Dutch performance and, alongside Gakpo, arguably the best Dutch player at this tournament so far.
WORST: Almoez Ali
The Qatar striker had a game to forget for the hosts as he failed to make any dent in the Dutch defence.
Highlights and notable moments
Gakpo’s status as one of the breakout stars of the tournament was sealed when he scored his third goal in as many matches in Qatar to open the scoring.
GAKPO DOES IT AGAIN 🔥
He now has 3 goals in 3 games for the Netherlands 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/UolQaLqSck
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
De Jong then gave his team a two-goal cushion. He could hardly have asked for an easier opportunity to score his first-ever World Cup goal.
That didn’t take long ⚡️🇳🇱
Frenkie de Jong makes it 2-0 for the Netherlands pic.twitter.com/AUowF6foN0
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
After the match: What the players and managers said
Postmatch quotes will appear here…
Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)
At 23 years and 206 days old, Cody Gakpo is the youngest Dutch player to score three goals at a FIFA World Cup.
The PSV forward is the first Dutch player to score in each group-stage game at a single World Cup.
Gakpo joins James Rodríguez and Lionel Messi (both 2014) among the only players to score in each of their team’s first three World Cup games at any of the last five tournaments.
Frenkie de Jong scored his second career goal for the Dutch national team. His only other goal came in September 2019 against Germany in a Euro 2020 qualifier.
Qatar are the first host nation to lose three matches at a single World Cup finals.
Qatar finish their World Cup campaign with a goal difference of -6, the worst ever for a World Cup host nation. The previous record was set by Brazil in 2014 (-3), thanks largely to their 7-1 loss to eventual winners Germany in the semifinals.
Up next
Netherlands: As Group A winners, the Dutch will face the runners-up in Group B — which comprises England, Iran, United States and Wales — at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday 6 p.m. local time/10 a.m. ET.
Qatar: The hosts are leaving their own party early but, lest we forget, they are still reigning Asian champions and their next chance to win more silverware comes right after the turn of the year. The Gulf Cup kicks off in January and Qatar will face Kuwait (Jan. 7), Bahrain (Jan. 10) and the United Arab Emirates (Jan.13) in Group B of the eight-team regional tournament that will be staged in Basra, Iraq.
