Qatar is mainly known for its tourism infrastructure, but this beautiful and relatively small country has other sides. Football, one of the country’s most popular sports, has many fans around the world, and Qatari people are no exception. They take this sport very seriously. Their passion for the enjoyable sport of football is evident in their league, clubs, and fan bases. Qatar has also hosted the FIFA World Cup 2022 to show its interest in football. In this article, we will explore the best football clubs in Qatar.
Best Football Clubs in Qatar
Qatar Stars League is the famous football league in Qatar in which the best football clubs in Qatar play and compete against each other.
Qatar has invested a lot in its football, and teams and clubs have also developed in these years, attracting famous players and introducing new talents to the world of football.
These days, football is not only a sport to watch in Qatar; it is a thing that people cheerfully devote themselves to and enjoy the wins and losses of their teams and rivals.
In the following, we will give a profile of some of the best football clubs in Qatar.
Al-Sadd
Founded in 1969, Al Sadd SC is one of the excellent teams that play in the top-level football of Qatar. Al Sadd Club is based in the Al Sadd District of Doha and is known for its great matches and top ranks in the Qatar Stars League.
Al Sadd Club is also associated with international events and is considered a great rival for many teams for its talented players and competitive gameplay.
Today, Al Sadd Club has the 8th national continental ranking among other teams, which reflects the power of this Qatari team.
Al-Rayyan
The next best football club in Qatar is Al-Rayyan. This team has many fans in Qatar and has had several achievements and successes in its history.
Al Rayyan SC has won 3 Emir Cups in the years 2010, 2011, and 2013. This team is also the winner of the 2015/16 Stars League, which makes it the second most popular football club after Al Sadd Club.
As for now, Roger Guedes, the talented player of this team, has scored more than 17 goals, making him the top player in the Qatar Stars League and Al Rayyan SC Football Club.
Al-Gharafa
Another popular club is Al Gharafa Football Club, which won the Qatar Stars League Cup in 2017/18 and 2018/19. Al Gharafa carries the nickname of undefeatable and has several talented players, including Yacine Brahimi, Ahmed Al Ganehim, and others.
This team has a stadium named Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, which is located on Al Gharafa Street and is one of the best stadiums in the nation.
Thani Bin Jassim Stadium has a 25,000 people capacity and was opened in 2003 to the public. Al Gharafa Team ranks in the top 5 teams of QSL.
Al-Wakrah
Al Wakrah is another club that is very popular among Qatari people. With its top scores who show outstanding play during their games, this team is also in the list of top 5 teams of the Qatar Stars League.
Mohamad Benyettou, Dala Gelson, and Ayoub Assal are three famous players of the Al Wakrah team. While half of the Al Wakrah team are Qatari players, we can see players from other nationalities too, such as Ayoub Assal from England, Omid Ebrahimi from Iran, Mohammad Benyettou from Algeria, and Dala Gelson from Angola. This team is also a great club in Qatar.
Al-Arabi
Al Arabi Sports Club, with its Grand Hamad Stadium in the heart of Doha, is the favorite team of Qatari people. Competing in the Qatar Stars League and participating in the AFC Champions League, this team is also a leading club in the football industry.
Al Arabi has gathered some of the best Qatari talents, along with famous international players such as Rafinha from Brazil and Marco Verratti (one of the best midfielders) from Italy.
Al Arabi is famous for its great gameplay, and Omar Al Somah is the top scorer of the team with 17 goals in the league.
Al-Duhail SC
Winner of the QSL Cup in 2022/23, Al Duhail SC is one of the greatest teams in the Qatar Stars League. This team had major investments in its fixture.
Today, Al Duhail SC is led by Christophe Galtier, a French coach who has gathered the team very well and managed the team amazingly.
Khaled Mohammed, Luiz Ceara, Philippe Coutinho, Edmilson Junior, Michael Olunga, and Almoez Ali are some of the famous players of Al Duhail Sc who try their best for their team to achieve great results.
Al Duhail SC is also a popular football club in Qatar that has a long history.
Umm Salal
Not as popular as other teams but having devoted fans, Umm Salal is one of those clubs that is still trying its best and maintaining a balance in the rankings.
This team won the QSL Cup in 2023/24 and has a stadium in the center of Doha named after Suheim Bin Hamad. This stadium has nearly 15,000 capacity and was opened in 1984.
So, it is one of the oldest stadiums in Qatar that has undergone later developments in recent years. Top Scorers of this team include Meshaal Al Shammari and Victor Lekhal, who play in the center and forward positions of the team.
Qatar SC
Ranked after Umm Salal, Qatar SC is also another team that is still developing. This team is the rival of Umm Salal and has showcased great gameplay with Umm Salal and against other teams.
Tabata, Javier Martinez, Youssef Mohamed Ali, Bashar Resan, Badr Banoune, Raoul Danzabe, and Eisa Palangi are some of the top players of Qatar SC Football Club.
This team has come from the second division of Qatar’s Football League and is still finding its way into the main league. So, there aren’t any titles for this team yet.
Al-Shamal
Ranking number 9 on the Qatar Stars League ranks, this team is also one of the great competitors of the league and has great stars and talented young players who play for their team from the bottom of their hearts.
Ricardo Gomez, with goal scores of more than ten goals, is the top scorer of the Al Shamal Team, along with other good players such as Ali Iyad Olwan, Nasser Ibrahim, Magid Mohammed, Mohsen Al Yazidi, and Matias German Nani.
Al Shamal Football Club has a lot of potential to move to higher ranks in the Qatar Stars League competitions.
Al-Ahli
Al Ahli is one of the oldest clubs in Qatar that showcased amazing plays in international games such as the AFC Champions League and has always been a great threat to other big teams in Asia. However, today, Al Ahli Football Club is not the same as it was, but still, it is one of the best clubs in the football league of Qatar with a long history.
The top scorers of Al Ahli Club include Julian Draxler with six goals, Yazan Al-Naimat with five goals, Abdulrasheed Umaru with two goals, and Islam Yaseen with one goal.
Al-Markhiya
Al Markhiya Football Club is one of the newcomers to the Qatar Stars League, which still maintains its place in the division. This team has come from the second division, introducing new talents and amazing players to the world of football.
Al Markhiya, with its fresh and new talented players, can be considered one of the best football clubs in Qatar.
However, this team should invest a lot in training their gameplay and players to compete against great teams of the Qatar Stars League and to be able to have something to say to them.
Muaither SC
Muaither SC is also the new rival of the Qatar Stars League, which wants to showcase extraordinary play and leave a legacy behind.
Although this team is not like other great clubs in Qatar, it is still on the list of top teams in the league and is investing a lot in its coaching system, attracting fresh and young blood to the team.
Jamal Hamed is the top player of the Muaither SC football club with three scored goals. Muaither SC will be a great team one day, and this team is very eager to go to higher levels of success in the Qatar Stars League.
Final Words
Qatar’s government loves to invest in things that its citizens like, and football is one of them. With major investments in the football of Qatar, this sport has gained many fans in recent years. Now, football in Qatar is intertwined with the culture of the people. This lovely sport has many fans and followers in this country who devotedly follow and encourage their team.
Choosing the best football clubs in Qatar is difficult, and all of the clubs in the Qatar Stars League have a competitive spirit that makes the league fun to follow.
Are you planning to travel to Qatar and looking for a Qatar travel agency? Check out our Qatar tours, and Qatar transit tours.
