What is the national sport of Qatar?

The national sport of Qatar is football (soccer). It is the country’s most popular sport, followed closely by millions of supporters through local clubs, the national team and major international competitions.

Football became firmly established in Qatar during the mid-20th century, with organized clubs emerging around the 1950s and 1960s. The Qatar Football Association was founded in 1960, later joining FIFA in 1972, helping create national leagues and official international teams.

Qatar’s national team, nicknamed the Maroons, won its first AFC Asian Cup title in 2019. The country then hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, becoming the first Arab country to stage the tournament. Traditional sports such as camel racing, falconry and horse racing remain culturally important, but they are not the standard answer to this trivia question.

A common mix-up is treating camel racing as Qatar’s national sport because of its deep heritage and popularity. Football is the accepted modern answer, while camel racing is best described as a traditional or heritage sport.