However, prior to the 2019 edition, Qatar only reached the quarter-finals twice: in 2000 as one of the two best third-place teams when the tournament had only 12 nations competing, and in 2011, when they finished second in Group A behind Uzbekistan.
In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Qatar, who was the first team to qualify aside from hosts United Arab Emirates, exceeded expectations.
In 2019, Qatar won its first six games, as many games as they had won in the previous nine editions, and conceded zero goals.
Defeating Japan in the final to win the 2019 Asian Cup has become Qatar's greatest achievement to date, compared to several Gulf rivals like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.
The 2011 edition was seen as a step for Qatar in perpetration for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country, while ironically, Qatar was the only nation to submit their bid for it.