Soccer-World Cup the test of Qatar's expensive bid to develop homegrown talent

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - International Friendly - Canada v Qatar - Estadio Franz Horr, Vienna, Austria - September 23, 2022 Qatar players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Lisa Leutner/File Photo

DOHA (Reuters) - When Qatar play Ecuador in the World Cup showpiece opener on Nov. 20, an 18-year, billion dollar national project to build a respectable - and possibly competitive - national squad will be put to the test.

Victory in that opening match, the team's first appearance at global soccer's showpiece event, would give Qatar vital points and the momentum needed to make it through to the last 16, said former Qatar forward Mohamed Mubarak al-Mohannadi.